


Gemini Fever

by Crimson_Arrow



Category: Gundam & Related Fandoms, Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny
Genre: Comedy, Gen, Out of Character, Parody
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27206845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crimson_Arrow/pseuds/Crimson_Arrow
Summary: After a bizarre series of events, Lacus and Cagalli become hardcore fans of the latest Gundam anime series which features the very first anime female protagonist. With increasing alarm, Kira and Athrun are forced to watch as their loved ones are drawn into the world of cosplay, doujinshi, gunpla, models, figures, merchandise and conventions.
Relationships: Cagalli Yula Athha/Athrun Zala, Lacus Clyne/Kira Yamato
Comments: 14
Kudos: 3





	1. Fever 01 - Gemini Rising!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bizarre series of events, Lacus and Cagalli become hardcore fans of the latest Gundam anime series which features the very first anime female protagonist. With increasing alarm, Kira and Athrun are forced to watch as their loved ones are drawn into the world of cosplay, doujinshi, gunpla, models, figures, merchandise and conventions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED.

CHARACTERS (who may or may not be as you remember them)

 **Lacus ‘Peace Comes From the Barrel of a Gun’ Clyne:** The arms dealing idol of peace with millions of fans. When she finds something she loves she can be surprisingly forceful and manic. Vega fan.

 **Cagalli ‘Don’t Call Me Princess’ Yula Athha:** The tomboy Princess of Orb who often leaps before she looks. Lately she’s found herself at the mercy of Lacus’ whims. Laura fan.

 **Kira ‘Nuclear Proof’ Yamato:** Lacus’ fiancé, SEED protagonist, Ultimate Coordinator and Gundam fan. Since the war, he’s convinced he’s invincible. Amuro fan.

 **Athrun ‘Master of Disguise’ Zala:** Cagalli’s boyfriend, Kira’s best friend, SEED deuteragonist and Gundam fan. Never talk to him about his dad. Char fan.

 **Tomino:** The creator of Gundam who also happens to be a dirty old man. Sayla fan.

* * *

Fever 01

Gemini Rising!

Watch Gundam.

It had just been an innocent suggestion. Something Lacus and Cagalli could do while Kira and Athrun were away camping with their buddies. So where did it all go wrong?

Probably the camping trip, thought Kira, who recalled the tragic getaway with an involuntary shudder. What was meant to be a glorious week of male bonding had deteriorated into a month-long battle for survival when the group had gotten completely lost in Orb’s unforgiving wilderness. They had been chased by ravenous bears, bitten by insects at all hours, slept on beds of twigs, were left exposed to the freezing elements until they figured out how to start a fire, and were even forced to drink their own pee amongst many other indignities.

Their phones couldn’t pick up a signal in the wilds but Kira and Athrun had still texted the girls every day, praying they would eventually receive their desperate cries for help. Unfortunately, it was not to be and their suffering continued unabated. Finally, a kindly dog walker discovered the emancipated group just as they were drawing lots to decide who was the meat and who were the lucky cannibals… whereupon they learned they were only a few kilometres off the park track.

Red-faced, the men wandered back to their parked Gundams which were still right where they had left them before flying to the nearest fast food restaurant and ordering everything on the menu. By the time they were unceremoniously kicked out, night had fallen and they finally decided to go their separate ways. Kira and Athrun went together since they were neighbours after Lacus had bought the property next to Cagalli’s mansion to be closer to their friends and they even shared a hanger bay behind their houses.

After being parted from their loved ones for a whole month, the longest time they could ever remember, Kira and Athrun landed home at last. They arrived to find only Kira’s house still had its lights on and rightfully presumed Lacus and Cagalli were still angry at them. They steeled themselves before walking through the door… only to be ambushed by a pink Haro which released sleeping gas.

The next thing they knew they were in Kira’s study – otherwise known as his man cave – and the groggy Coordinators found they had been tightly bound to chairs with rope. The wide-screen TV was on and playing the latest Gundam series, _Build Divers Re:Rise_ , on mute and for some reason Kira’s collection of Gunpla models were lined up on the bar. The lights were dim but the baffled men could see stacks of empty pizza boxes and soda bottles littered around the room, like someone had practically lived out of the study for weeks.

Sensing danger, Kira and Athrun both struggled to free themselves from their bindings only to freeze when they realised they weren’t alone. Standing over them like zombies were the wrathful, red-eyed visages of Lacus and Cagalli. The women looked like they hadn’t slept in days and were eerily silent, but they obviously meant business because they were holding baseball bats.

“L-Lacus…! C-Cagalli….! H-Hey,” Kira looked between the women and stammered but they just responded with blank stares. “Athrun and I are really sorry for leaving you both alone for a whole month… but I swear there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation! R-Right, Athrun?!”

“R-Right!” Athrun managed to stutter once he had gotten past his shock, but kept taking bird glances at the baseball bats. “We… We got lost in Orb National Park…. We sent you messages!”

“We know…” said Cagalli who flipped open her phone to reveal all their desperate pleas for help had been received.

“What?! You read them?!” Athrun shouted and felt his blood start to boil. “Why didn’t you call for a rescue team?! We were starving out there! I… I had to drink my own p–”

A loud metallic clang silenced the former ZAFT pilot after a smiling Lacus bashed the floor in with her bat.

“Oh, we’re sorry, Athrun… but we were just so engrossed by Gundam we never even noticed your messages,” a smiling Cagalli suddenly apologised and took a swig of soda before patting Athrun’s shoulder with her bat, causing him to sweat. “Right, Lacus?”

“Right, Cagalli~” Lacus hummed, crouching down to Kira’s level and rubbing her bat into his perspiring cheek. “We were watching Gundam just like you told us, Kira. Honestly, I thought it was just a show for boys… but I was really surprised when I started to enjoy it.”

“O-Oh? Y-You did?” Kira exclaimed, managing to speak even when he had a metal bat poking him in the face. “Wait… You didn’t binge watch all of it… did you?”

“We watched everything,” Cagalli deadpanned.

“Everything from _Turn A_ to _Double Zeta_ ,” said Lacus and she brought her bloodshot eyes right up to Kira’s face. “But the more we watched, the more we realised something was missing from Gundam… something we really, _really_ wanted…”

“W-What?” Athrun asked.

“…A female protagonist,” Cagalli answered.

There was a confused hush before the men realised their girlfriends were dead serious… and Kira made the mistake of laughing.

“A female protagonist? Is that what this is all about?!” he hooted and sighed with relief even as Athrun kept shaking his head. “ **Christina Mackenzie** , _War in the Pocket_! She’s your female protagonist! So… how about untying us now?”

Another awkward silence followed as Kira’s folly dawned on him and his grin vanished.

“Cagalli?” said Lacus, and the blonde wound up her metal bat.

“Batter up!”

Cagalli swung into the bar and demolished one of the Gunpla models which simply disintegrated on contact before its white remains scattered across the room like stardust.

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!” Kira screamed bloody murder. “My limited edition Strike! He did nothing wrong!”

“Silly Kira,” Lacus chided the man crying in pain like he was a child. “Christina may have piloted a Gundam but she wasn’t the protagonist… not like the other protagonists in Gundam.”

“A protagonist propels the story forward by making key decisions and experiences the consequences of those decisions while facing the most obstacles…” Cagalli fired off an explanation that sounded like it had come from a search engine. “Every Gundam protagonist has been a man… Why can’t it be a woman for once?!”

“Because it just hasn’t happened yet, okay?!” Athrun yelled at his captors, having had enough. “If you haven’t noticed, Gundam is watched by men! It’s a male fantasy about giant robots and war that needs a male lead! And what female viewers there are don’t want a female protagonist; they want more ikemen! Series like _Gundam 00_ and _Gundam Wing_! Come on, admit it! You like seeing boys in shorts all over each other!”

Athrun finished his rant out of breath and began panting, but Lacus and Cagalli were unmoved.

“Lacus?” Cagalli finally said, and the pinkette began to whirl her bat.

“So~re!”

This time a red Gunpla model was sent to the spiritual scrapheap as Lacus’ metal bat pulverised it out of existence and it splattered the wall like blood.

“NOOOOOOOOOO! My Aegis!” Athrun shrieked like he had lost a son. “You monsters! He was so young!”

“You’re right, we did enjoy all the ikemen and boys in shorts,” said Cagalli, ignoring her beau’s man pain. “But that’s beside the point.”

“Nee, Kira… Gundam has been around soooo loooong~ Why hasn’t there been a female protagonist yet? We don’t want anything special… she can do the same stuff all the other protagonists do…” Lacus pouted which would have been cute if she wasn’t taking practice swings with her bat. When a grimacing Kira wouldn’t answer her, the idol lost patience fast. “Mou~ It sounds like we need to knock a few more out of the park, Cagalli!”

“W-W-Wait! Y-You got me! I’ll talk!” cried Kira, thinking of his precious Gunpla. “There _is_ a female Gundam protagonist! Her name is **Asuna Elmarit**! She appeared in the manga _Ecole du Ciel_ which is set in the UC era! It never got an anime adaptation but it was really good!”

“WHAT?!” Lacus and Cagalli dropped their baseball bats from the shock and the sports equipment clattered to the floor. The girls grabbed Kira by the collar and began shaking him. “Why didn’t you say so?! Well? Where is it?!”

  
“M-My room! Top shelf, first book from the left! You can’t miss it!”

Lacus and Cagalli raced out the door and their captives heard the pair bounding up the stairs with excitement. Finally left alone together, Athrun raised a perplexed eyebrow at his friend.

“You know, the first female protagonist was actually **Tiel Noembruex** from the _Gundam Wing_ side story manga, _Tiel’s Impulse_ …” he pointed out before his eyes reeled with horror. “But that aside, ARE YOU CRAZY? You know how _Ecole du Ciel_ ends, right?!”

“Of course I know! But it got them out of our hair, didn’t it?” Kira snapped and grunted as he tried to loosen his bindings. “Now shut up and help me get out of these ropes!”

No more than a minute had passed when the pair’s improvised escape plan was foiled, and they heard heavy footballs descending back down the staircase. Kira’s and Athrun’s blood froze and they collectively yelped when the door was kicked in. Lacus and Cagalli stormed through, each carrying a pile of books which they began pelting at Kira’s face.

“OW! OW! STOP!” he begged.

“Where. Is. The. Rest,” the girls enunciated each word for effect as they finished throwing all twelve volumes of _Ecole du Ciel_. “It just ends!”

“Um… W-Would you believe it’s been on hiatus… for ten years…?”

“Oh my god… It was cancelled?!” Cagalli grabbed her head like it was about to explode and screamed. “So even female manga protagonists don’t stand a chance?!”

“Kira, you naughty boy… You tricked us,” Lacus sent a shiver up Kira’s spine with a vacant stare before she picked up her bat. “I think the boys need to be taught another lesson, Cagalli…”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Lacus…” Cagalli picked up her own bat and began tapping it on her shoulder. “The red ones are mine!”

“NO! NOT MY BOYS! LEAVE MY BOYS ALONE!!”

Tears were streaming down Athrun’s face as the former soldier bawled for them to take him instead, but the pink and blonde angels of death only grinned at his agony. Finally, just before the girls were about to swing, Kira bit his lip and played his final card.

“ _WAIT!_ I can _get_ you a female protagonist!” he screamed, catching their attention and stopping the Gunpla massacre.

“…What? You really expect us to believe you?” Lacus asked, dismissing him with narrowed eyes.

“He’s just stalling, Lacus. I say we get back to hitting homers!” Cagalli snorted and resumed her batting stance.

“ _ONE PHONE CALL_ ,” Kira declared, stopping them again with his determined gaze. “Just give me one phone call. After that, if it doesn’t work or if you think it was just another trick, you can do whatever you want.”

Lacus and Cagalli looked at each other for a moment before nodding. Kira was given back his phone and, without the use of his hands, the Ultimate Coordinator skilfully cradled it between his ear and shoulder.

“Kira! You’re not seriously thinking of calling _him_ , are you?!” Athrun gaped with disbelief and shook his head. “It’s not worth it!”

“We have no choice, Athrun! If you haven’t noticed, our girlfriends have gone bananas and they’re playing baseball with all our Gunpla! _I can’t let my babies die!_ ” Kira shot back and dexterously tongue-dialled a phone number on the digital number pad. It began ringing and after a long, nerve-wracking pause it sounded like someone finally picked up. “Hello? It’s me. Remember that thing we were talking about? Get it done. Get it done, ASAP. Don’t ask questions! Lives are depending on this! In return, I’ll… I’ll do whatever you want…”

Kira finished with a shudder and loud, boisterous cackling could be heard on the other end of the line. After exchanging a few more words, the mysterious contact hung up and Kira let the phone fall to the ground with a clatter.

“It’s done… Try checking your news feed,” Kira muttered and hung his head like a dead man.

Mystified, Lacus and Cagalli brought out their phones and did as he said. Scrolling down their news feed, their bloodshot eyes came across something and suddenly lit up like pairs of luminescent stars.

“Ban-Rise announces the production of a new Gundam television anime series, _Gundam Gemini_ …” an incredulous Cagalli read aloud before Lacus finished the next sentence.

“In a Gundam anime series first, _Gundam Gemini_ will feature… a female protagonist?!”

There was a stunned silence as the girls made sure they weren’t dreaming before they looked at each other and squealed to high heaven with delight. Unable to cup their ears, the bound Kira and Athrun winced as their ear drums took the brunt of the celebration but couldn’t help but smile as their girlfriends began jumping up and down on the spot in an embrace.

“Oh my god! Oh my god, Lacus!” Cagalli held the idol close and cried. “We did it!”

“I know! I can’t believe our dream has come true!” Lacus hugged the blonde back and sniffled. “All the Gundam fans in the world must be rejoicing!”

When they finally calmed down, Lacus and Cagalli took a deep breath before exiting the man cave together.

“Okay, time to catch up on some shut-eye…” Cagalli stretched her arms to the ceiling and yawned. “What about you, Lacus?”

“Me too… Right after I text my agency,” Lacus replied while she checked unread messages on her phone. “Apparently, I’ve been on hiatus for a whole month…”

While Kira and Athrun watched, the girls walked right out the door without a second look back.

“Um, girls? A little help here?” a hopeful Kira ventured only for the door to slam shut. “Damn it…”

“You really did it, Kira…” Athrun shook his head again at his friend, this time with a mixture of disbelief and awe. “You just changed the history of Gundam… but at what cost? What in god’s name did you promise _Tomino?_ ”

“ _God damn Tomino…_ ” Kira repeated the name with disgust as he made a renewed attempt to escape his bonds. “Can you believe he wants a hundred Sayla Mass doujins? _And for each one I have to colour in her nipples?_ ”

**END OF FEVER**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have read my other work... Yes, this is a shameless cross promotion of Gundam Gemini, my original Gundam work. Hopefully this encourages a few more people to check it out! There should be 2 more chapters to Gemini Fever, but depending on reception I might write more.
> 
> Some notes before I go:
> 
> 1\. 'Christina Mackenzie, War in the Pocket!': The actual protagonist of WitP was an 11 year old kid named Alfred, who idolises war and mobiles suits but by the end of this amazing 6-episode OVA (the first Gundam series to be created without Tomino's input) he comes to realise the true horrors of war.
> 
> 2\. 'You like seeing boys in shorts all over each other!': According to surveys, Gundam 00 and Gundam Wing are popular with female Gundam fans who may or may not be all fujoshi. So is SEED, but Athrun might go catatonic if he acknowledged it.
> 
> 3\. 'There is a female Gundam Protagonist!': Ecole du Ciel was drawn by famed character designer Mikimoto Haruhiko (Gunbuster!, Super Dimension Macross, and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) from 2001 to 2012 before it was cancelled at 12 volumes. Tokyopop released 9 of those volumes before it closed shop. The story is set 2 years before Gundam Zeta at Ecole du Ciel, a military training school for mobile suit pilots in Montreal, Canada, and centers around below average student Asuna Elmarit.
> 
> 4\. 'The first female protagonist was actually Tiel Noembruex...': This is true. She appears in Tiel's Impulse, a one-issue comic included with an Endless Waltz model kit magazine-book in 1998. Tiel is searching for her OZ test pilot brother who went missing and during her quest she does ends up piloting a Gundam!
> 
> 5\. '...I have to colour in her nipples?': It's true... Tomino's one complaint upon seeing doujins of Mobile Suit Gundam was that they had coloured in Sayla's nipples all wrong. If you didn't know, that's the creator of Gundam for you... and he's said a whole lot worse since.
> 
> That's all! If you think Gemini Fever could be funnier or have a suggestion for a joke, please let me know (my Gundam knowledge is actually fairly weak), but I hope you enjoyed this.


	2. Fever 02 - The Scarlet Idol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gundam Gemini Fever takes over the world and the pre-air date finally arrives. Afterwards, Lacus undergoes a startling transformation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED.

Gemini Fever

Fever 02

The Scarlet Idol

For the next three months, news of _Gundam Gemini_ took over the world like an incurable fever and no one embodied the sickness more than Lacus and Cagalli.

They pored over the promotional material released by the _Gemini_ PR team like it was religious text. Everything from the character profiles, mechanical designs, trailers and story titbits to seiyuu casting, leaks and rumours were obsessed over, _and_ they checked the official website every minute so they wouldn’t miss an announcement. The girls even began discussing the show on online forums and shared their theories with other Gundam fans, and Kira and Athrun almost had to ban them from social media when they discovered their girlfriends were fanning all kinds of flame wars. (The big hint was when they kept screaming at their inanimate monitors and phones.)

Finally, the _Gundam Gemini_ pre-air date arrived when they would air not one but the first two episodes for a double billing. A distracted Lacus and Cagalli couldn’t contain themselves all day, fumbling through their idol practice and government work respectively before taking a taxpayer-funded helicopter home together and almost crashing it in their backyard so they could watch the show in time (which they managed thanks to the prodigious use of SEED Mode). Once again, Kira’s man cave – or rather his former man cave – was the venue of choice.

Ever since _Gemini’s_ announcement, the girls had taken over his space and made preparations for the series by installing a new leather sofa, the latest widescreen TV and a giant fridge chock full of ice cream and soda. A pile of snacks had already been laid out on the table and Lacus and Cagalli sat on the edge of the sofa munching on them with anticipation. At long last the clock struck twelve, the commercials ended, company and sponsor promos began to play, and the girls hushed as they watched the screen in complete silence.

_“It is the year After Cataclysm 301. Three centuries ago, a great disaster forced the inhabitants of Lemuria to flee their planet on giant arks in an event known as the Lemurian Cataclysm. Now the descendants of those refugees have returned to their home world to stake their claims, sparking all-out war. Despite their shared ancestry, the Lux Empire and the Rem Republic will stop at nothing to possess Lemuria and the advanced Relics it holds…”_

“It’s starting!”

“Oh my god!”

While Lacus and Cagalli squealed and bounced up and down on the sofa, another duo sat at the bar behind them and quietly watched on. They had needed to get permission first but Kira and Athrun were watching _Gundam Gemini_ too and repairing their smashed Gunpla at the same time. Between helping Tomino with his dirty work and waiting for replacement parts, the boys had only now found a spare moment to fix their precious models.

“Well, someone’s excited…” Athrun remarked sarcastically as he observed the animated girls with bloodshot eyes. Beside him, a similarly pink-eyed Kira used superglue to stick the Strike’s broken parts back together in silence, although he occasionally muttered something about ‘never wanting to see another nipple again’.

“So… what’s this show about anyway? Any good?” Athrun tried to distract his traumatised friend and to his surprise Kira answered while mending his Gunpla.

“It’s like you heard,” the Ultimate Coordinator replied robotically as he multitasked. “The two sides are fighting over advanced technology called Relics which are mostly found on the ruins of Lemuria, but according to the creators the characters travel to other galaxies too. Also, Rem is like the Federation while Lux is Zeon.”

“Relics, huh? So a bit of _Turn A_ ,” Athrun nodded with approval as the screen showed an intense battle between two space fleets. “ _And_ an intergalactic war; that’s another Gundam first. Speaking of which, what about the characters? Who’s the famous female lead?’

“ **Laura Hartmann** ,” Kira answered. “A blonde, talented and slightly cocky tomboy, according to her profile. Unlike some other protagonists, she actually starts out as a mobile suit pilot in the Rem military. By the way, she’s also a Technopath – what they call Newtypes in this universe.”

“Technopaths, eh… Wait is that her? No, it can’t be!” Athrun exclaimed as a red mobile suit effortlessly tore through its foes on the TV and the girls cheered.

“That must be **Vega Aurelia** ,” Kira replied with the same nonchalance as he focused on holding two tiny pieces together while the superglue set. “In another franchise first, _Gemini’s_ main antagonist is a woman too. Vega is Lux’s masked ace pilot and she’s already pretty popular amongst the fans.”

“Damn, I can see why… She looks pretty cool. Not to mention badass!” Athrun applauded and couldn’t take his eyes off the silver-haired character on the screen as she piloted her mobile suit like a one-woman army. As a fellow red suit pilot, he had to show support for her, he told himself.

“According to the creators, the rivalry between Laura and Vega is going to be one of the main conflicts on the show.”

“Rivalry is good. People love that stuff… _Too bad we already nailed it in SEED!_ ”

“ _Yeah!_ ”

Kira and Athrun slapped each other with a high five before going back to what they were doing.

“And the Gundam for this show? We have to talk about that. Is it a Relic?” Athrun asked while he carefully superglued the Aegis’ cracked head back together with a pair of tweezers.

“It’s called the **Orthrus Gundam** and the trailer showed Laura discovering it on a moon or something. It looks a bit like the Unicorn Gundam – all white,” Kira explained as he used a pair of nippers to cut out new parts. “We actually don’t know much about it yet; it sounds like it has some secret, special abilities which will be revealed as the series continues.”

An hour passed and the first two episodes of Gundam Gemini finished airing. As the credits rolled, Lacus and Cagalli sat in stunned silence thinking about what they had just witnessed. There had been action and adventure, laughter and drama, triumph and tragedy – a tale so thrilling that it would leave a whirlwind of emotions in their hearts long after it had finished.

“That was… amazing…” Cagalli whispered, her eyes glazed over like she was in a trance.

“It surpassed my expectations… and more…” Lacus murmured, almost breathless, in a similar state of shock.

Finally, Lacus and Cagalli turned towards each other and found tears were streaming down their faces. A moment later, they were on their feet and in each other’s arms, dancing on the sofa in a frenzy as they screamed with hysterical delight.

“Oh my god! That was so _AWESOME!_ ” Cagalli shouted. “I love Laura! She’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a female protagonist _and_ she kicks ass! That duel she had with Vega at the end of the second episode was _LEGENDARY!_ ”

“I know! That was my favourite part too!” Lacus shouted back. “Laura had the Orthrus but Vega was so cunning! The animation was spectacular and the mobile suits all looked amazing, especially Vega’s **Fenrir** ! And Vega… _I LOVE VEGA!_ ”

While their girlfriends continued to fangirl over _Gundam Gemini_ , Kira and Athrun put the finishing touches on their Gunpla. No longer unrecognisable scraps of maltreated plastic, the Limited Edition Strike and Aegis had been restored to their former glory.

“Finished!” Kira finally declared with jubilation and held his Gunpla up to the light so he could admire it. Beside him, Athrun did the same with his Aegis and like two proud fathers they set them down on the bar so the Gundams stood side by side.

“It’s good to have you back…” Athrun whispered and wiped a tear from his eye. “This must be what it’s like to have a son…!”

Knowing exactly how his best friend felt, Kira patted Athrun on the shoulder and let his own tears run freely. Lost in their own world, they never noticed as Lacus and Cagalli passed by behind them.

“Yosh, let’s take a bath and check the forums before watching it again!” Cagalli suggested, already pumping her fists in anticipation. “I’m so glad we recorded it!”

“Oh, Cagalli,” Lacus laughed. “You have to savour it. The premiere is next week and then we have to wait another two weeks before episode three finally airs.”

“Uuuugh, so looong!”

“Don’t worry. Remember, we still have so many things planned before then to keep us busy…”

As Lacus and Cagalli walked out of the room, they slammed the door shut behind them and it was this inadvertent act which started a catastrophic chain reaction. The tremor of the door slamming shut caused the bar to shake and, to Kira’s and Athrun’s horror, the Gunpla began to rock back and forth.

From there, everything happened in slow motion. With panicked eyes, Kira and Athrun stretched out their arms to grab the swaying Gunpla, their mouths widening like dounts as they cried out. For a moment, it looked as if their hands would be within reach… but it was not to be. Their precious Gunpla tumbled over the bar and, after a gut-wrenching second, they heard the tormenting crunch of plastic shattering into a thousand pieces – much like what they were feeling in their hearts.

“ _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ ”

Kira’s and Athrun’s wails of agony were heard all throughout Orb and they vaulted over the bar to see how bad the damage was.

“Oh my god, the superglued parts have come unstuck _– and they’re all sticking together!_ ” a shocked Kira could be heard shouting from behind the bar. “It’s just one big Strike-Aegis Ball of horror!”

“Quick, get the nail polish remover! And a bucket! We’ll just dump it all in!” Athrun suggested with haste before he cried out with alarm. “Oh god, now the ball _is stuck to our hands!_ ”

While Kira and Athrun spent a sleepless night trying to disassemble the Strike-Aegis Ball using only their teeth, Lacus and Cagalli were none the wiser as they carried on talking about _Gundam Gemini_ upstairs. It was only later that everyone realised that was the last night anyone would see or hear from Lacus Clyne again. At least, not for a long, long time…

*****

Morning arrived and Kira was woken up by the warm rays of the sun shining through the window. The Ultimate Coordinator found his head lying on the coffee table with his hands inside a cold bucket of water and across from him Athrun was in a similar state. With a groan, he recalled the events of last night like it was a nightmare.

After managing to pour over a dozen tiny bottles of nail polish remover into a bucket of water using only their teeth, they had submerged the Strike-Aegis Ball inside together with their superglued hands before falling asleep. (Kira had held the bottles between his lips while Athrun had twisted them open which had brought their faces awkwardly close.) Now that morning had come, it was the moment of truth and Kira tentatively tried removing his hands from the bucket. When they came out easily without being stuck to any Gunpla parts, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, Kira’s respite was short-lived when blaring music began to play from somewhere in the house and the Gundam pilot cupped his ringing ears with his wet hands. Across from him, Athrun jerked awake and did the same, completely forgetting that his hands had previously been superglued to a giant ball of plastic.

“What the hell is that?!” the former ZAFT ace tried to scream over the racket but his voice was barely audible.

“I think it’s from _Gundam Gemini_!” Kira shouted back, recalling it was the same music that played whenever Vega Aurelia showed up, and they rushed out of the room and into the hallway. There, at the top of the stairs, they found a figure who looked like Lacus standing between two giant booming speakers which were clearly the cause of the disturbance. When the idol saw she had their undivided attention, she pressed a remote and the speakers fell silent.

“What the hell, Lacus?!” Kira shouted at his fiancé before he realised something was off. Lacus’ long pink hair, which she was so proud of, was now _silver_. Furthermore, she was wearing a red body-hugging g-suit and a white mask… exactly like a certain character last night on TV.

“Rise and shine, Space Wolves!” Lacus greeted them with a husky voice and uncharacteristically chuckled. “Another day, another chance to bring glory to Lux!”

“L-Lacus? What… What’s going on?!” Kira stammered and shook his head to make sure he wasn’t still dreaming. He was certain it was Lacus up there but it was like she was _someone else entirely_.

“I’m afraid Lacus isn’t available at present. Instead, it is I…” the woman formerly known as Lacus smiled and introduced herself with a dramatic flourish of her gloved hands. “…Vega Aurelia! The Scarlet Wolf!”

“Oh my god… She’s cosplaying,” Athrun whispered and the men were almost rendered speechless.

“Already? And is it normal to be this... into it?” Kira whispered back.

“Hopefully it’s just a phase… Wait, where’s Cagalli?!”

Hearing Athrun’s alarm, Lacus grinned and reached an arm out before pulling Cagalli over from behind the corner. The Orb princess was wearing a white g-suit which showed off her curves and based on the way she was squirming, she was obviously embarrassed to death.

“M-Mou, Lacus! That’s enough, isn’t it?” she protested with flushed cheeks.

“Oh, thank god… She’s completely normal,” Athrun breathed a heavy sigh of relief before doing a double take. “Wait, how is this cosplay? You look _exactly the same!_ ”

“Shut up! I already look like Laura so there wasn’t much to do, okay?!” Cagalli shot back while twisting her short blonde hair. “Oh, but Lacus did talk me into wearing these purple contacts… I can’t believe I’m doing this!”

“As I thought, purple looks very becoming on you, my dear Cagalli…” Lacus hummed and threw a lady killer smile at her best friend, causing everyone to sweat drop. “You’re the spitting image of my nemesis, Laura Hartmann.”

“R-Really?” Cagalli actually blushed at the compliment and looked rather pleased. “M-Maybe I can do this after all. At least until the event…”

“Event? What event?” Kira asked as his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Lacus chuckled ominously and stunned them again with her perfect rendition of Vega before throwing a paper airplane down the stairs. Kira caught it between his fingers and when he and Athrun unfolded the contents their eyes reeled back with horror.

“Orb Comiket?!” they cried aloud, staring at the colourful flyer which advertised the local convention for everything otaku-related.

“Indeed,” Lacus proclaimed, producing a wine glass filled with red liquid out of nowhere before continuing. “In two weeks’ time, every anime fan in the world will be gathering at Orb Big Site for one of the biggest conventions on the planet. As _Gundam Gemini_ fans, it is our duty to represent the new series by attending in cosplay, thereby spreading love and word of _Gemini_ to thousands more. It would not be an exaggeration to call this a battle and we must be prepared… but fear not! As the Scarlet Wolf, I will lead us to victory!”

Lacus declared melodramatically and raised her glass to the ceiling before downing its contents in one gulp to Kira’s alarm.

“…That’s not wine, is it?”

“It’s grape juice…” Cagalli answered. “By the way, Vega Aurelia here forgot to mention it, but… you’re coming with us.”

“ _WHAT?!_ ”

Kira and Athrun almost fell over themselves at the news and pointedly refused… at first. It was only later that Lacus, with her newfound silver tongue, managed to coerce them into helping with her plans. It’s just a convention, they told themselves. How bad could it be?

As the men would discover, Orb Comiket would present the greatest danger they had ever faced since the war – a mad endeavour led by a silver-haired woman whose battle cry only encapsulated the sheer lunacy of what was to come.

“Follow me, Space Wolves! Glory to Lux!”

**END OF FEVER**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two parts down, one to go. I'm only working on Fever on weekends (and working on GG on weekdays) so it might take a few weeks. Those who have read Gundam Gemini Episode 1 & 2 will notice the references and easter eggs have started appearing...
> 
> Some notes:
> 
> 1\. "It is the year After Cataclysm 301": 306AC, actually, in the proper GG summary. I had to change it for Fever because Episode 01 actually starts with a prologue featuring Vega in 301AC before time skipping to the main story and characters in 306AC. In my mind, a GG anime wouldn't start with a narration but I put it in there so Fever readers could get an in-story introduction to GG.
> 
> 2\. "Relics, huh? So a bit of Turn A": Gundam Turn A was set in the Correct Century which unified all past Gundam stories to be the past history of this imagined 'final era' of Gundam. Throughout Turn A, mobile suits resembling those from other shows are dug up from the earth and are said to be thousands of years old (and preserved by nano machines). The plot centers around the invasion of the Earth by the Moon and rumours say protagonist Loran was meant to be a girl before they changed her to a boy. (According to wiki, this rumour has been proven false due to early concept art).
> 
> 3\. "Orb Comiket?!": This is parody of Japan's Comiket (Comic Market) which is held biannually at Tokyo Big Sight (unable to think of a similar and funny name, I pathetically settled for 'Orb Big Site' in Fever...). It is the largest fan convention in the world and has an estimated attendance of half a million people who come to buy doujinshi (self-published works (comics, software, music, clothes, etc) usually based on existing media), merchandise, cosplay, or all of the above. There are also corporate booths for commercial companies (games studios, publishers, etc) which might feature celebrity meet and greets. Comiket is infamous for its long lines to get inside, especially during the intense heat of Summer Comiket, which can take hours... talk about hardcore otaku!
> 
> That's it from me for now. I hope you look forward to the finale!


	3. Fever 03 - The Death That Came to Comiket Part A

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonists of Gundam SEED finally go to Comiket... and discover hell. Meanwhile, Lacus and Cagalli have the time of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED.
> 
> Yes, this is part A, the first part of three. As usual, stuff I write just grows... monstrously. 
> 
> Thanks to LW for beta reading!

Gemini Fever

Fever 03

The Death That Came to Comiket

Part A

“Hey, Athrun.”

“What is it, Kira?”

“You know what’s really great about Gundams? That I’ve never fully appreciated and would kill someone’s entire family just to have right now?”

“What?”

“Air conditioning.”

The first day of Orb Comiket had finally arrived and Kira and Athrun were standing outside on the sidewalk in the extreme heat. It was still morning, but the sun’s intense rays were already beating down on the pair and a hundred other would-be attendees as they lined up for the hotly anticipated event like sun-baked zombies. While they waited to be allowed inside the Orb Big Site convention centre, the unsheltered queue were forced to endure the sweltering summer weather and the incessant, almost deafening buzz of cicadas assaulting their ears. But compared to the other queuers, Kira and Athrun had it even worse because of one obvious factor…

…They were cosplaying. In oversized Gundam costumes. Specifically, the mobile suits piloted by the main characters of  _ Gundam Gemini _ .

In her zeal to wow as many people as possible and lure them into watching  _ Gemini _ , Lacus had used her idol connections to arrange for a famous costume designer to create the costumes and no expense had been spared. Constructed using rigid corrugated plastic and aluminium, wrapped in glossy PVC, spray painted different shades for a three-dimensional look and adorned with bright LED lights, the mobile suits had been replicated down to the last detail and shipped to their houses. Of course, someone needed to wear the costumes and that unenviable task had fallen on Kira and Athrun. Like any Gundam fan, they were impressed by the level of detail and jumped at the chance to try them on… at first.

Demanding nothing less than a perfect performance from their favourite characters’ personal mobile suits, Lacus had drilled the men day in and day out as her alter ego, Vega Aurelia (whom she roleplayed 24/7; Kira hadn’t seen her take off that mask even once). She had made them run marathons (“Another lap! You need to build up your stamina!”), walk through the gauntlet of a china shop (“To train your spatial awareness!”), build Gunpla (“A mobile suit is an extension of your body!”) and recreate poses from the show until they were absolutely perfect (“Again! Your arms are two-degrees off! Here, watch me!”) –  _ all while wearing the costumes _ . Every day left them exhausted and the hope they could finally relax at Comiket was crushed when Orb experienced a record-breaking heatwave on the opening date.

“So hot…” Athrun moaned as he sweated like a pig inside his white  **Orthrus Gundam** costume, the personal mobile suit of  _ Gemini _ ’s protagonist and Cagalli’s favourite character,  **Laura Hartmann** . “It’s like an oven in here…”

“Shut up! You’re giving me flashbacks to the Cyclops System!” Kira snapped before instantly regretting it as his heavy breathing only made the costume even more stuffy. The Ultimate Coordinator was wearing a red  **Fenrir** costume, the personal mobile suit of  _ Gemini _ ’s fan-favourite antagonist,  **Vega Aurelia** .

The unlucky pair had been standing in line for an hour, holding the group’s spot while Lacus and Cagalli went to gather supplies.

“We’re back, guys! How’re you holding up?”

Finally, Cagalli reappeared with Lacus in tow but their boyfriends barely reacted and it looked like their shoulders had become permanently slumped. For Comiket, the girls had changed from their characters’ form-fitting g-suits to their respective military uniforms with a style that preferred pants – white and blue for Cagalli, and black and grey for Lacus who completed her costume with Vega’s favourite red boots (which also helped to add a few inches since the real Vega was much taller).

“It appears our poor mobile suits are in need of refuelling, Cagalli…” Lacus, ever in character, grinned and produced a shopping bag which clinked with the sound of soda cans. That finally got Kira’s and Athrun’s attention and their eyes lit up as they badgered their girlfriends like puppies.

“Soda! Drink! Now!” Kira cried incoherently and flailed his boxy arms before feeling Lacus place a cold can in his gloved hands.

“Drink, my Fenrir! Regain your strength!”

“We got straws too. Don’t get any soda on my Gundam!” Cagalli warned them as she guided a straw to Athrun’s parched lips through a hole in the helmet.

“Oh, sweet, sweet soda…” Athrun crooned as he and Kira slurped like they were in heaven… before the bubbly rivers ran dry. “H-Hey, what gives?! This can is  _ tiny! _ ”

“Sorry! They wouldn’t accept our black cards,” Cagalli held her hands together in apology. “This is all we could afford with our spare change.”

“And my attempts to have the bill sent to House Aurelia also proved… ineffective,” said Lacus, who cocked her head as if she were genuinely perplexed.

“Damn rich girls!”

“Down with the bourgeois!”

Kira and Athrun threw their empty cans to the ground with a bang and angrily shook their oversized manipulators.

“Alright, settle down! We can buy more food and drink once we get inside Comiket and there’ll be air con too so save your energy,” Cagalli placated them. “In the meantime, can you hold this?”

Grumbling, Kira and Athrun held their hands out and received two opened umbrellas – red for Kira and white for Athrun – which they found themselves holding over Lacus and Cagalli respectively while the excited pair pored over the Comiket catalogue. Apparently it wasn’t enough that they were cosplay accessories; they were also expected to be shade-dispensing, emotionless robots incapable of processing something like complete and utter humiliation.

“Um, Lacus?” Kira ventured, wondering why he was asking for his girlfriend when someone completely different was going to answer. “How long until we get inside? It’s already been an hour…”

“Oh, ye of little faith, Kira,” Lacus smugly replied with a throaty chuckle. “Just be patient for a little longer and I promise we’ll be there soon. Have I ever led you wrong?”

Unable to counter her argument, Kira and Athrun begrudgingly held their tongues and sure enough the line began to move. It was at a snail’s pace but it was better than nothing and soon the Orb Big Site conference tower came into view – a massive, inverted pyramid held up by four gigantic columns at its corners like an unholy mecca. They would have stopped to admire it if they could but the line had grown more crowded as it linked up with other queues and the group suddenly found themselves in the middle of a human tsunami.

“Athrun!” Kira cried as he was almost swept away by the crush of otaku.

“Kira! Grab my hand!” Athrun reached out and grasped Kira’s manipulator just in time. Clearly, the dangers of Comiket were not to be underestimated.

The throng of Comiket attendees were lined up and packed into groups by cosplaying volunteers, and another hour passed before they were finally let inside the grounds. By then, Kira and Athrun were already exhausted and looked like they would collapse. Lacus and Cagalli, on the other hand, could barely contain their excitement and steadied themselves by grabbing one another.

“Lacus, we made it…” Cagalli whispered with disbelief. “We’re at Comiket! We’re really here!”

“Oh, my Mecca!” Lacus exclaimed, covering her mouth which was wide open. “Look, Cagalli… this otaku holy land is where we will help spread  _ Gundam Gemini _ ’s magnificence to the world! Come, there is much work to be done!”

The girls’ first course of action was to take a selfie in front of the inverted pyramid before uploading it to their Twitter accounts.

“Um, girls… Do you… Do you think we could head inside now…?” Kira, bent over and out of breath, begged them with his last ounce of strength.

“We’re dying of thirst here!” Athrun cried, having resorted to using his umbrella like a crutch. “And the heat! My god, the heat!”

“No, we have to see the cosplay first!” Cagalli rebutted them and gestured around the grounds where there were thousands of cosplayers and even more photographers. “After lunchtime, it’ll all be over!”

“Yes, this is your time to shine! Show the otaku world the results of your training!” Lacus drew on her Vega-charisma and spurred them on although the word ‘training’ sent an involuntary shudder through the men’s weary bodies. “Do that first and we’ll go inside the convention hall, I promise.”

Kira and Athrun growled and wondered why they even trusted someone who wore a mask. They couldn’t even argue back just because Lacus had a charming smile... and it was that same smile which soon attracted a throng of fans. Cameras and phones flashed all around the quartet nonstop as otaku appreciated their impressive  _ Gundam Gemini _ cosplay.

The crowd roared as the girls recreated their characters’ poses from the show and Lacus confidently flipped her silver hair back as Vega while coolly weathering the intense scrutiny thanks to her idol experience. Cagalli, on the other hand, was more bashful as Laura but gradually gained confidence and started to enjoy herself. It was also amazing no one had recognised their real identities as a world-famous idol or Orb’s princess although that was probably due to the white mask and purple contacts respectively.

Once they had pulled themselves together, Kira and Athrun also got into modelling for the crowd, wowing their audience with the awesome poses that had been drilled into them with blood, sweat and tears. They also posed together and in a group with the girls before posing even more with strangers. The men were actually having so much fun they forgot how tired and thirsty they were… and let their guard down.

“Oh my god, Lacus, look!” Cagalli yelled like she had found an oasis in a desert and pointed across the courtyard. “Other  _ Gemini _ cosplayers!”

“Our fellow comrades, Cagalli! Like us, they’ve answered the call!” cried Lacus and they rushed over while Kira and Athrun trailed behind in their overheating Gundam costumes.

“I… I can’t go on, Athrun…” Kira muttered between laboured breaths before he shook his giant helmet and collapsed to his plastic knees. “Leave me, Athrun… Save yourself!”

“Kira! Don’t talk like that, man!” shouted Athrun, throwing his friend’s blocky red arm over his shoulder and lifting the Fenrir up as if he was some kind of Gundam crutch. “We’re almost at the East Hall! Don’t give up, Kira!”

While Athrun dragged Kira to the shade under the pyramid where they collapsed against one of the pillars, Lacus and Cagalli were talking up a storm with their fellow  _ Gundam Gemini _ cosplayers and taking selfies.

“Look, Lacus! Those girls are cosplaying as Laura’s friends:  **Freya** ,  **Alice** and  **Junko** !” Cagalli cried with excitement before going up to the cosplayers and taking a group picture.

“ **Ursula** !  **Luke** !” Lacus called out to two cosplayers in black uniforms who upon seeing their commander in the flesh saluted at once. “Line up, Space Wolves! We can’t let the Garm Team have all the fun!”

The Gemini cosplayers began posing and taking pictures amongst themselves, and soon word spread of the incredible Laura and Vega cosplayers at Comiket. The fan crowded around the pair as they talked about the show and shared their passion before someone noticed the two mobile suit cosplayers lying in the shade like discarded scrap.

“Hey, weren’t those guys with you? That Orthrus and Fenrir cosplay is awesome! They look just like the real thing!”

“M-Major! I humbly request they recreate the fight scene from Episode Two!” the girl cosplaying as Ursula beseeched Lacus and her cheeks flushed just talking to her precious major. “I… I want to see that famous duel in real life!”

The crowd of Gemini fans roared in agreement and Lacus let out a hearty laugh.

“Of course! Anything for you, my dear Ursula,” she crooned, almost sending the girl and anyone else cosplaying as Ursula swooning. “Kira! Athrun! Come here at once!”

It took a second for the men to respond but eventually they staggered upright before they dragged themselves out of the shade and into the middle of the crowd which had formed a giant circle. Cagalli and Lacus handed them their beam sabers, long polycarbonate rods embedded with LEDs and electronics in their plastic handles, and at the flip of a switch they lit up with bursts of blue and red light. The crowd cheered and with the hotly anticipated duel about to begin they held their breaths in expectation of brain-numbing awesomeness. Kira and Athrun got into their sword stances, the crowd hushed, and…

…and they began swinging their beam sabers at one another like wet noodles. They weren’t even making contact. They were just standing on the spot and going through the motions while making raspy sound effects. It was pathetic. Anticlimactic. A total killjoy like  _ Gundam ZZ _ . The crowd was so stunned you could hear a pin drop and no one dared to say anything.

“Lacus, this is so lame! They’re making us look bad!” Cagalli angrily whispered, containing the urge to take their boyfriends out with a flying dropkick.

“Hmmm… It would appear our mobile suits are in need of some encouragement, Cagalli,” Lacus held her chin in her hand and observed before holding something up into the air. “Your attention please! The winner of the duel will receive this cold, frosty can of thirst-quenching soda!”

Kira and Athrun stopped swinging their beam sabers and the air changed as they became completely still. The crowd felt a chill as if a cold wind had blown and waited with bated breath to see what the two cosplayers would do. Something told them the duellists were reassessing their relationship and that yesterday’s friends had become today’s enemies.

“Where’d you get that?” Cagalli whispered, staring at the can in Lacus’ hand.

“I asked one of my cute subordinates to get me a refreshment,” Lacus replied, and Cagalli flinched when she finally noticed the squad of Space Wolf cosplayers standing to attention behind them. “Oh, this can is soooo nice and cooooool!”

“Er, yeah!” Cagalli hollered, taking Lacus’ cue. “If you don’t hurry and start fighting, we might just drink it oursel–”

An epic clash of beam sabers rang throughout the courtyard and cut Cagalli off. Kira and Athrun had restarted their duel with a vengeance, whirling their buzzing red and blue shafts of light at each other like they were real beams of hot plasma which sang with every strike. Their blindingly fast swordplay had their audience picking up their jaws from the ground but once they did they shook Comiket with a bloodthirsty roar. This was no longer some tame cosplay performance; Kira and Athrun were out to kill each other in a battle of life and death.

“Go, Orthrus! You can do it!”

“Tear that Gundam apart, Fenrir!”

“H-Hey, are those beam sabers going to be okay?” Cagalli whispered to Lacus over the crowd’s cheering. “Won’t they break?”

“Don’t worry. I had them constructed using only the sturdiest of materials for just such an event,” Lacus assured her and the masked woman’s lips curved as she watched the duel intensify. “That’s the way, Fenrir! Show them the might of the Scarlet Wolf!”

“D-Don’t lose, Orthrus! I won’t forgive you if you embarrass Laura!”

While the girls got into a competitive shouting match, Kira and Athrun were in their own world as they traded blow after blow before crossing blades. They wrestled for dominance using their beam sabers and found their heads close enough to speak.

“Sorry, Kira... but that soda is mine!”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Athrun!”

Without warning, they both headbutted one another with an audible crack, sending both Gundams flying back as they broke away. The moment they landed, they charged at each other again with beam sabers reared back and deafening battle cries. The duel would be decided in one blow.

“ _ Kira! _ ”

“ _ Athrun! _ ”

The two mobile suits passed one another and slid to a stop. They were still holding their final stances after swinging their beam sabers and the crowd went deathly quiet. The decisive bout had been so blindingly fast no one could say for certain who had been struck and they waited with bated breath.

Finally, the white Orthrus collapsed to the ground face-first and Athrun with it. Kira raised the Fenrir’s fist towards the sky in victory and the crowd went absolutely crazy, cheering and applauding their champion. Lacus, breaking character for once, jumped up and down for joy before running over so Kira could savour his hard-earned prize.

“Good boy, Fenrir! Now, as promised… Soda!” Lacus chuckled as Kira wordlessly slurped up his reward through a straw and the idol patted his helmet as if he were a real pet.

“Damn it…!” Athrun snarled from the ground as he watched his rival relish the soda that should have his and struck the earth with his fist. “Now if I had been cosplaying as the red suit, the outcome would have been totally different! Why am I the Orthrus anyway?!”

“What’s the matter? You don’t like Laura’s Gundam?”

A pair of legs appeared in Athrun’s line of sight and Cagalli squatted down so they could make eye contact. The princess of Orb had a water bottle in her hands and, judging by her puckered expression, she didn’t look too pleased.

“I was going to let the loser drink this anyway, but if you’re going to be such a disloyal mobile suit… I guess I’ll have it all for myself,” Cagalli grumpily informed her boyfriend before taking a long swig of the bottle. As the water was steadily depleted, she let the liquid overflow from her lips on purpose and it dripped wastefully down her neck.

“ _ NOOOOOOOOOOOO!! _ ” Athrun cried to the heavens for mercy and, when the torture became too much, buried his head into the ground. But, upon hearing no more loud glugging, he looked up to find a bashful Cagalli offering him the bottle.

“…I guess you can have half…” she muttered ever so cutely, unable to meet his eyes.

“Cagalli…” Athrun whispered and accepted the bottle as tears welled up in the Orthrus’ eyes. “I love you!”

“S-Shut up! Stupid! Not in public!”

While Kira and Athrun rehydrated in the shade, Lacus and Cagalli said goodbye to all their new friends before they moved on.

“Bye! That was so much fun!” one  _ Gemini _ cosplayer waved. “So where are you headed now?”

“The East Hall!” Lacus declared and Cagalli nodded.

“We can’t wait to see all the  _ Gemini _ doujins!”

Rather than join in their excitement, the girls were perplexed when the other Gemini fans fell silent and smiled awkwardly. Before they could ask what was wrong, Kira and Athrun shouted for them to hurry up and so they left without asking. At the time, Lacus and Cagalli simply thought their new friends were trying not to disappoint them –  _ Gundam Gemini _ was a hot new show after all, so maybe all the doujins had sold out – but, as they would soon learn, the reason was far more serious than they could possibly imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you read earlier, Fever 03 has been split into three parts but it's almost complete and I hope to post the final part next week as my beta finishes reading them.
> 
> On to Gundam Gemini news, finishing Fever has unfortunately eaten into its progress but I plan to post the first half soon (because, again, it's grown pretty long...). Hopefully you'll see it soon after Fever is finished, maybe the week after!
> 
> Chapter Notes:
> 
> 1\. '...They were cosplaying. In oversized Gundam costumes': The process and dedication with which fans go to create a realistic and wearable mobile suit costume is amazing! Go look it up if you haven't already! If you're one of those Gundam cosplayers, hats off to you!
> 
> 2\. 'We're at Comiket! We're really here!': Hopefully I've done my research right and have recreated the Comiket experience here (and in the following parts). You do have to line up early if you don't want to miss out on doujins/merchandise (popular stuff sells out fast) and cosplaying is limited to the outside area (which is really crowded until maybe lunchtime). You wouldn't line up with umbrellas though like the SEED quartet because, as stated, it's way to crowded for that and you'll just obstruct people. Btw, if I didn't mention it before, Comiket is not-for-profit and completely run by volunteers!
> 
> 3\. 'A total killjoy like Gundam ZZ': Gundam Zeta, set eight years after Mobile Suit Gundam, was lauded as a dark, dramatic follow up to the original series so there were great expectations for its sequel, Gundam ZZ (pronounced 'Double Zeta). Unfortunately, fans were left with tonal whiplash when they discovered the show was a lighthearted comedy that dispensed with the usual Gundam seriousness for much of its run (until roughly the final 15 episodes which reportedly showed a return to form).
> 
> That's it! Hope you enjoyed this one and the next parts should come out over the next week!
> 
> EDIT: Just noticed I wrote the Fever 01 end notes in the overall story end notes (which somehow ended up here... it seems to hop around). It's been corrected now, but check Fever 01 again in case you missed it.


	4. Fever 03 -The Death That Came to Comiket Part B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lacus and Cagalli have both welcome and unwelcome encounters inside the East Hall, the latter of which may end their day at Comiket early...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED
> 
> Warning: some slight spoilers for Gundam Gemini Episode One in this chapter.
> 
> Thanks to LW for prereading!

Gemini Fever

Fever 03

The Death That Came to Comiket

Part B

The East Hall at Comiket was reserved for people selling their fan works or doujinshi and there was of course a line to get inside there as well. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t as hellish as the previous queue and they entered to the feel of soothing mists of air conditioning blasting into their faces. The rejuvenated quartet sighed towards the heavens in relief before they put their eyes forward and found an immense hall filled with people.

Long rows of tables snaked around the room and formed islands in the middle where creators, or circles, peddled their wares with the most popular ones having either lengthy queues or empty tables that indicated their works had all been sold out. Above, extensive ceiling bars criss-crossed under the high roof and illuminated the cavernous hall with hundreds of bright lights. With the throngs of otaku coming in out of the heat, the East Hall also kind of stank but the SEED quartet didn’t care. This was the heart of Orb Comiket... and they had made it!

While Kira and Athrun made a beeline for a soda vending machine in the corner of the room, Lacus and Cagalli toured the circles and stocked up on treasure. There were fan works on every series imaginable ranging from comics, artworks and novella to handmade items and even short anime. The girls were like kids in a candy store and squealed at the sight of everything... but even they were brought to hushed whispers when it came to Comiket’s more mature content.

“Oh my god… L-Lacus, you have to see this!”

“Cagalli? Has something upset y– Oh my lord in Gundam heaven!” Lacus cried out, almost breaking character when she saw what the blonde held in her quivering hands.

It was a doujin, a little thin book like the thousands of others at Comiket, but judging by its cover its contents were not so innocent. On the front, drawn with sensual detail, were a shirtless Athrun and Kira, gazing longingly into each other’s eyes after the former appeared to have pushed the latter down. If that wasn’t explicit enough, the title read ‘Gundam SEED: Forbidden Destiny’.

“Is this the fabled…  _ yaoi doujin?! _ ” Lacus gasped and covered her mouth. “And with Kira and Athrun no less!”

“Should… Should we have a peek?” Cagalli whispered, swallowing nervously. In wordless agreement, they shifted their eyes left and right first to make sure no one was looking before huddling together and flipping through the X-rated book.

“Oh my god… Kira is getting… by Athrun…!”

“T-There’s no way that would fit! A-And the real thing is way tinier!”

With every page turned, the women’s eyes swirled and their hot cheeks began to radiate steam. They didn’t even notice the person sitting at the table in front of them with a smile plastered across her face.

“If you like that one, there’s more.”

Startled, Lacus and Cagalli looked up to find a girl their age cosplaying in a familiar  _ Gemini _ character’s white and blue uniform. She had short, mousy brown hair, freckles and a piercing green stare. The very sight of the cosplayer caused tears to well up in both the girls’ eyes and they screamed her name at the same time.

“ _ Tully! _ ” they cried and leapt forward to grab her hands. To her credit, the woman cosplaying as Tully only laughed like she was used to this reaction and, after a quick round of introductions, they started a deep conversation about  _ Gundam Gemini _ .

“Tully? Who’s that again?” Athrun asked between slurps of his umpteenth soda as he and Kira caught up to the girls. “I can’t keep up with all the characters in  _ Gemini _ …”

“She’s like Laura’s best friend,” said Kira, dexterously opening another can with his manipulators. “You know, the one who– ”

Kira stopped when he realised he had stepped on something and picked up the book the girls had just been reading. While the boys dropped their drinks and began fussing over the contents like bashful schoolgirls in the background, Lacus and Cagalli continued their enlightening conversation with Tully.

“So  _ Gundam Gemini _ got you back into drawing doujinshi?”

“Yep. Although what you read is one of my older works,” Tully said and gestured to piles of  _ Gundam Wing _ ,  _ Gundam 00 _ and more  _ Gundam SEED _ doujins with similarly raunchy covers. “ _ Gundam Gemini _ has inspired me to go in a… new direction…”

The woman covered her flushed cheeks and, curious, Lacus and Cagalli picked up her latest work.

“T-This is…!”

“Vega x Laura?!”

Indeed, the cover had Vega giving Laura a  _ kabedon _ , or wall slam, and the Scarlet Wolf held her rival’s chin in her hand. The main characters of Gundam Gemini were meant to be hated enemies; something like Vega seducing a blushing Laura was canonically impossible and extreme. But, try as they might, Lacus and Cagalli could not resist and they turned page after page.

“H-How is it? It was my first time drawing yuri so I’m not very confident…” Tully admitted as she watched intently for their reactions.

Slowly, Lacus and Cagalli closed their copies of  _ Wolf x Hound _ and they went completely silent. But when they finally raised their heads, they revealed sparkling eyes and wide smiles. It was like a door to a new world had been opened to them and the girls were not looking back.

“I’ll take three copies!” Lacus declared first before pointing at the other piles of Gundam yaoi. “And three of everything else too!”

“S-Same!” Cagalli cried and fumbled for her doujinshi money. (Which was separate from drink money, but Kira and Athrun didn’t have to know that…)

“Thanks for your business!” Tully sang and piled up their doujinshi for them into two gigantic towers of smut.

“Kira, Athrun! We require your assistance!”

“Hey, guys! Are you listening? Wait, what are you reading?”

Caught red handed, the men panicked and the doujin went flying up into the air. Like a ballistic missile it peaked before falling and hitting someone right in the face. That someone was a mobile suit cosplayer wearing an impressive green Zaku costume and they were with a huge group of other Gundam cosplayers from the Universal Century. As they peeled the open doujin off the eye holes of their helmet, the Zaku cosplayer marched right up to the quartet and they looked far from pleased.

“I thought I recognised this hentai garbage, zaku!” a man’s nasty voice boomed from the Zaku, which must have stood an intimidating seven feet high at least, and they waved  _ Forbidden Destiny _ in the air. “So you’re still drawing disgusting yaoi smut…  _ Gundam Girl! _ ”

“That voice…!” Tully whispered and her eyes narrowed. “ _ Zaku Master _ . I thought maybe you’d have matured by now… but I see you’re still an insensitive jerk!”

“I just call things as I see it. Take all this yaoi Gundam crap you’re selling; it reeks to high heaven, zaku!” Zaku Master decried, throwing the doujin onto the ground and stomping on it to the cheers of his crew. “Who reads this tripe?! It deserves to go straight into the trash, zaku!”

“It is  _ not _ trash!” Lacus came to her friend’s defence and fearlessly stood up to the giant Zaku. “It’s boy’s romance and it’s beautiful!”

“Yeah, leave her alone you big bully!” an angry Cagalli shouted. “She can draw whatever she wants and if you don’t like it, get lost!”

Confronted by two girls almost half his size, Zaku Master roared with laughter and his crew followed suit.

“Zaaaaakuzakuzaku! Who the hell is this? The  _ fujoshi _ brigade? I guess your fans are as rotten as you are, zaku!” he goaded them, before pausing when he saw what they were wearing. “Wait, I recognise those costumes… Don’t tell me you’re spreading your degeneracy to the new Gundam show too?! This I have to see, zaku…”

Zaku Master strode past them and picked up a copy of  _ Wolf x Hound _ which he began flipping through. They knew he was up to no good but they could never have imagined he would begin tearing pages out and throwing them into the air.

“Gross! Lewd! Oh, talk about filthy, zaku!” he shouted with each desecration and his crew cheered him on.

“You monster!” Tully cried and tried to snatch the shredded book from Zaku Master’s manipulators but he held it above his head.

“I knew you had a disgusting imagination when it came to Gundam but this takes the cake, zaku!” he taunted her. “And  _ Gundam Gemini _ is a blight on the franchise! It shouldn’t even exist, zaku!”

“Hey, you take that back!” Cagalli snapped.

“Gundam Gemini is a masterpiece!” Lacus proclaimed.

“ _ Girls don’t belong in Gundam, zaku! _ ” Zaku Master bellowed and began to spew his vile, undisguised hatred for the show. “Gundam has always been a man’s show about war! Ever since  _ Mobile Suit Gundam _ , Gundams have been piloted by men, for men, and supported by men for over forty years! To let a bunch of girls be the main characters, it’s… it’s offensive, zaku! Unrealistic, zaku! And they’re just pandering to people with all this ‘female protagonist’ crap to disguise the fact there’s nothing interesting or original about the show! Another one of these ‘female protagonists’ for the sake of ‘female protagonists’! It’s insulting, zaku! And don’t get me started on Gemini’s main character! I knew she’d suck but to think she’d be a Shinn Asuka clone, zaku?!”

“H-How dare you!” an indignant Cagalli growled and shook her fist. “Laura is brave, funny, compassionate and… and she learns from her mistakes! There’s no way she’s anything like that loser Shinn!”

Somewhere in Orb, a trash can sneezed and Shinn Asuka poked his head out to look around before going back to living with garbage.

“You… You brute! You narrow-minded, sexist hater!” Lacus, as angry as any of her friends had ever seen the composed idol, countered Zaku Master’s rant with her own passionate retort. “Gundam is for everyone! Men might still be the main audience but times have changed! Now women want to watch cool, giant robots fighting too! And there’s nothing wrong with having female protagonists! _Gundam Gemini_ has one and it’s still true to Gundam’s themes and that’s amazing! There should be no reason why male Gundam fans can’t enjoy watching it unless they’re too weak to overcome their own biases! But if you still find _Gemini_ and female protagonists offensive or unrealistic – or threatening to your own ego – well, _just don’t watch!_ _Hating on something doesn’t give you the right to stop others from loving that something!_ ”

Lacus finished her speech with a heartfelt cry before panting heavily. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Cagalli by her side, and Kira and Athrun standing behind her. They were so proud of Lacus and agreed with her every word. But Zaku Master and his crew appeared unmoved. With arms crossed, the Gundam cosplayers all began to laugh and jeer at the quartet.

“Zaaaaakuzakuzaku! What are you going to do about it? We’ll hate on  _ Gemini _ as much as we want; we’re the Anti-Gemini Corps!” Zaku Master roared with his distinct laughter. “You almost got one thing right though:  _ Gemini _ and female protagonists are a threat to Gundam! As Gundam purists, we’re not going to stand by and let you rabid SJWs ruin our show or Comiket! So with that said…  _ I hereby ban you all from the East Hall! _ ”

“What?! You can’t do that!” Tully shouted in their defence. “On what authority?!”

“On the authority of being one of the head volunteers!” Zaku Master shot back and showed off the gold ID card around his thick neck. “With this I can decide who comes and who goes from this hall! And by the way, Gundam Girl… You haven’t been sanctioned to sell X-rated goods in this area!  _ You’re banned too! _ ”

“That’s a lie! This  _ is _ the X-rated section and I’m allowed to be here!” Tully countered only for Zaku Master to wave a form in her face. “This…! You changed it! My table was clearly registered for X-rated goods before!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Zaku Master but his crew snickered behind him. “Now hurry up and get your sorry asses out of here... and remember to take your filthy doujins with you. If you’re still here when I come back, I’ll have my boys throw you out and your doujins will go in the incinerator!”

With that final threat, Zaku Master and his cronies walked away while cackling with laughter. Angry and distraught, no one said anything until Cagalli slammed her fists down on the table.

“This is wrong! We didn’t do anything!” she cried, grinding her teeth.

“Agreed. This is clearly an abuse of power,” Lacus nodded, appearing calm again except her fists were tightly curled. “Isn’t there some way to appeal this?”

“No… There isn’t. There’s nothing we can do…” Tully sadly told them and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry but… can you please help me carry my boxes?”

*****

The doors slammed shut behind the quintet and they found themselves outside in the hot sun again. It was lunchtime so there was no queue going into the East Hall and the courtyard was nearly devoid of cosplayers. Moving to a bench in the shade, the despondent group set Tully’s boxes down and sat beside them while drinking their sorrows away with Kira’s and Athrun’s soda supply.

“Now I remember why I stopped coming to Comiket…” Tully said as she stared into her can. “That guy and his friends have always given me a hard time about what I like to draw… but I never thought he’d become a Comiket volunteer with so much power.”

“It’s appalling… Why should we be thrown out just for being  _ Gemini _ fans?” Lacus whispered, squeezing her cold drink to temper her fury. “There must be some higher power we can talk to so we can bring justice down upon that Zaku’s head!”

“Don’t bother…”

An unexpected voice answered the idol and suddenly they found a crowd of people had gathered around them. They recognised half as being the  _ Gemini _ cosplayers they had met earlier while the others held boxes filled with  _ Gemini _ doujins. It was quickly apparent that everyone present was a  _ Gundam Gemini _ fan or cosplayer and they all had expressions of despair.

“That Zaku Master jerk and his family are actually big Comiket donors; they essentially control everything at Comiket including the rules,” said one.

“He’s also a Gundam purist who hates anything that diverges from Gundam canon or isn’t UC Gundam,” said another. “But he hates  _ Gundam Gemini _ especially and is abusing his position to cleanse Comiket of all its fans.”

“We were all thrown out too… just for being  _ Gemini _ fans,” another lamented. “We’re sorry we didn’t tell you before but… but you were so excited about Comiket and we didn’t want to ruin it for you…”

“It’s okay… It’s not your fault,” Cagalli shook her head before her eyes narrowed. “It’s that Zaku jerk and his friends! Are we just going to stand here and let them get away with this?!”

Cagalli’s fiery call to arms was met with timid murmurs and fearful faces, causing her to frown.

“What do you want us to do? If we break more of their rules, they’ll ban us from Comiket…”

“And those purists outnumber us at least three to one. We’ll never win…”

“It’s hopeless… The strong always win.”

Hearing the reservations and the despondency of her fellow fans, even Cagalli’s spirits were discouraged. But the blonde was stunned when Lacus stood up on the bench beside her and the masked idol looked like she was about to burst with a fire she could no longer contain.

“Wait, Lacus…” Cagalli grabbed her hand and whispered cautiously. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

The woman dressed as Vega Aurelia looked down at her friend and smiled.

“Making history, Cagalli…” she said, almost sending Cagalli swooning with heart fluttering excitement. Mesmerised, the princess released the Scarlet Wolf and watched in awe as she instigated the legendary event that would be spoken of for years to come.

“Comrades! My fellow  _ Gemini _ fans! Listen to me!” Lacus bellowed over the rumblings of the masses with an impassioned plea and caught their attention. “Today is a dark day, my friends… We have been cast out of Comiket – our holy land – by the dark forces of prejudice and intolerance just because of our beliefs. What should be a day of love, devotion and acceptance has turned into an assault on our very beings…”

Lacus paused for effect, as if pained, and the crowd went silent with her. When she spoke again, they hung onto every word.

“…Why? Why must we suffer on this day of all days? Comiket is when we are meant to be free!” Lacus cried and her voice rose to a crescendo. “When otaku don’t have to hide what they love! When cosplayers can dress as their favourite characters! When artists can draw what their hearts tell them to! And  _ yes _ , when  _ Gundam Gemini _ fans can tell the world they love  _ Gundam Gemini _ and female protagonists!”

Suddenly, the crowd’s hearts were as one and they roared with deafening defiance. Lacus’ words had struck something deep within them and they raised their fists in unison with the idol. Buoyed by their cheers, Lacus unleashed the fire waiting in her lungs and sparked a revolution.

“We have a choice, comrades! We can either retreat with our tails between our legs back into hiding – concealing our otaku hobbies from our families, pretending to be ‘normal’ in front of our friends, classmates or co-workers, and fearing rejection every other day of the week – or we, the downtrodden and the weak… we can make this our day of reckoning!” Lacus hollered like a firebrand and the hearts of every otaku in the audience were set ablaze like a roaring inferno. “This is our day! Comiket does not belong to them! Gundam does not belong to them! We will take it back! We will not hide! We will not go away! We…  _ are GunGemers! _ ”

Lacus finished with a flourish of her fist towards the sky and a thunderous ovation followed. Men were crying. Women were screaming. Children were jumping up and down. It was an applauding sea of GunGemers and they would no longer be denied.

“GunGemers! We are GunGemers!”

“I love you, Lady Vega!”

“Major, we’ll follow you to the ends of the earth!”

As Lacus caught her breath, cries of support began to ring out and she smiled. Beside her, Cagalli, Kira, Athrun and Tully nodded, letting the idol know she would not be alone in her crusade.

“ _Sugoi…_ _Sugoi_ , Lacus!” Cagalli hugged her friend, her eyes still a little starstruck. “It was like you were the Scarlet Wolf in the flesh! But… what do we do now?”

“Heh. Isn’t it obvious, my dear Cagalli?” Lacus grinned, flipped back her silver hair and pointed to the East Hall while striking a pose. “Follow me, GunGemers! We stir the hornet’s nest!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a delay on this one but the whole story is finished now and my beta is free, so full steam ahead! There will be one more part and then an epilogue.
> 
> Chapter Notes:
> 
> 1\. "Is this the fabled... yaoi doujin?!": If you have an interest in anime or manga, you probably already know 'yaoi' means... especially since yaoi and Gundam is a popular combination. On that note, 'yuri' is the opposite and involves erotic relationships between women.
> 
> 2\. "I thought I recognised this hentai garbage!": Again, you probably already know what 'hentai' means... If not, use your imagination.
> 
> 3\. MS-06 Zaku II: The Zaku originally appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam and is the grunt suit of the Principality of Zeon. It is iconic for being the very first mobile suit seen by Gundam viewers as well as for its functional and utilitarian appearance. They are very cool!
> 
> 4\. Zaku Master: Zaku Master is an amalgamation of imagined and real criticisms I've had of Gundam Gemini (yes, someone actually got riled up just because I used the words 'Female Protagonist' in the summary). He acts as the antagonist in this arc and represents the prejudiced and intolerant views you might associate with trolls, haters and misogynists' whenever women's issues arise as well as 'geek gatekeepers'. I didn't expect the social commentary to get so heavy, but I realised thematically someone had to stand up to his views (in this case Lacus) so I hope it didn't detract from the crack fic. Btw, I gave Zaku Master his 'zaku' verbal tic because that seemed to make him more palatable to write and read! (I can't unhear his laugh!)
> 
> 5."Who the hell is this? The fujoshi brigade?": Fujoshi is derogative Japanese term which means 'rotten woman'. It generally refers to women who enjoy imagining romantic relationships between male characters (yaoi or shounen-ai) and you've probably heard it used in anime or manga. In recent times, the term has been reclaimed by actual fujoshi who are a varied group and fujoshi characters are a popular staple in anime/manga (Gundam Gemini has one, her name is Alice!).
> 
> 6\. "I hereby ban you all from the East Hall!": I have no idea if volunteers have the power ban anyone or what they even do for security, so just take this development with a grain of salt. Btw, I have nothing against the amazing volunteers at Comiket or the generous donors who make it happen! I just have a crack fic to write...
> 
> 7\. "Follow me, GunGemers! We stir the hornet's nest!": This is work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental. So if a violent riot or revolution ever happens to take place at Comiket, I know and condone nothing... Nothing!
> 
> That's it! Hope you enjoyed this and see you next time!


	5. Fever 03 - The Death That Came to Comiket Part C

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The revolution has begun and the GunGemers take the fight to the Anti-Gemini Corps at Comiket, culminating in a showdown with Zaku Master. Afterwards, the SEED quartet have an unexpected encounter with not one, but two famous anime directors... and Lacus and Cagalli are not thrilled to meet them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED.
> 
> Warning: Spoilers for Gundam Gemini Episode 02 in this chapter.
> 
> Thanks again to LW for prereading!

Gemini Fever

Fever 03

The Death That Came to Comiket

Part C

On that fateful day at Orb Comiket, no one could have foreseen the chaos that would engulf the East Hall. Although the morning rush was over and the most popular circles had already sold out, there were still plenty of attendees returning after lunch and Anti-Gemini Corp volunteers were stationed everywhere to maintain order. Everything seemed normal… until the very floor began to shake.

The attendees and volunteers all froze, fearing an earthquake. But they soon realised the terrible vibrations were no seismic tremors. It was the united march of hundreds of feet… and they were headed straight for the East Hall.

With a mighty crash, all the doors along the main entrance were flung open at once and the silhouette of an army strode inside with the summer sunlight to their back. Most were _Gundam Gemini_ cosplayers dressed as mobile suits, pilots or soldiers. Those that weren’t cosplaying wore _Gemini_ T-shirts and headbands that inexplicably said ‘GunGemers’. At the head of the army were two women cosplaying as Vega Aurelia and Laura Hartmann while two cosplayers portraying their respective mobile suits, the Fenrir and the Orthrus, followed close behind.

All looked like they were ready for death and their eyes burned with dangerous intent, causing the other attendees to scurry away in their wake.

“H-Hey! You’re not allowed in here!” an Anti-Gemini Corp volunteer dressed as the original RX-78-2 Gundam ran up and warned them, followed by more of his fellow goons. “You were banned! All of you were!”

The warnings meant nothing to the silent GunGemer legion. With the gesture of a gun, Lacus and Cagalli pointed at the volunteer and their mobile suits leapt out from behind them. Striking like lightning, the Fenrir and the Orthrus caved in the RX-78-2’s head unit with devastating twin punches. The original Gundam was thrown through the air before it crashed to the ground like a rag doll where it lay sprawled out and twitching.

The Anti-Gemini Corps froze, as did the attendees and circles. Everyone in the East Hall was so shocked it was as if time had stopped. Finally, it was Lacus that started time again as she raised her gloved hand to the air before throwing it down.

“ _Go, GunGemers! Tear them apart!_ ”

At the Scarlet Wolf’s order, the GunGemer army charged forward like a roaring flood and stormed the East Hall. The frontline Anti-Gemites fell before the raging horde like dominos and those not yet in the raiders’ path were immobilised by their bone-chilling battle cries which echoed throughout the hall. Those Anti-Gemites that did not flee and stood their ground were set upon by the GunGemers like prey being taken down by a pack of bloodthirsty wolves. In the subsequent cosplayer melee, tables were thrown aside, chairs were brandished as weapons, doujinshi littered the ground and air, and innocent attendees fled for their lives screaming.

“What’s all that racket, zaku?!”

On the other side of the East Hall, Zaku Master put down his ‘ _The Many Nipples of Sayla Mass_ ’ doujin and grabbed one of the other fleeing volunteers by the shirt.

“I-It’s those _Gemini_ fans!” the Anti-Gemite cried with horror. “T-They’re crazy! They’re trying to take over the East Hall!”

“ _ZAKU?!_ Not on my watch, zaku!” Zaku Master dropped the volunteer and grabbed his radio. “Attention all Anti-Gemini Corps: Regroup at Point Alpha! Our counterattack begins now, zaku!”

Throwing the radio aside, Zaku Master charged into the fray and mowed down dozens of GunGemers using his great size. More Anti-Gemites rallied behind him until they were equal with the enemy and the two forces met in the middle of the hall in a mighty clash. Each side tried to gain the upper hand but the massive brawl only intensified and the East Hall became a bizarre battlefield straight out of Gundam.

Characters and mobile suits from various Gundam series were beating the living daylights out of one another, but generally it was _Gemini_ cosplayers vs the UC cosplayers of the Anti-Gemini Corps. Lacus found herself kicking in the white helmet of a random Char Aznable while Cagalli gave Ray Amuro a German Suplex. Seeing the main characters of Mobile Suit Gundam groaning on the floor, the girls high-fived… only to leap out of the way when a green giant nearly came crashing down on them.

“Zaaaaakuzakuzaku! So, you two are the cause of this, zaku!” Zaku Master bellowed as the fighting continued around them. “Futile, zaku! I will destroy anything that threatens to taint our pure Gundam world... starting with you, zaku!”

“Bring it on, bucket head!” Cagalli shouted as she and Lacus took their fighting stances. “When we’re done with you and your goons, Operation British will look like child’s play!”

“Deny us all you want; Gundam will continue to evolve and attract new fans to Comiket! No one has the right to stop it – especially not a hater like you!” cried Lacus. “Come on, Cagalli! Righteousness is on our side!”

With blood-curdling war cries, the women charged before leaping into the air and striking with twin flying kicks. The perfectly synchronised blows struck Zaku Master directly on his armoured chest and were so powerful they sent the green giant sliding back but to his credit, he remained standing. Landing safely back on the ground and finding their opponent unscathed, Lacus and Cagalli clicked their tongues.

“Zaaaaakuzakuzaku! Not bad, but did you really think two puny humans could even put a scratch on Zeon’s most iconic mobile suit?” Zaku Master taunted them. “This won’t even be a challenge, zaku!”

“Damn it! I hate to admit it, but he’s right!” Cagalli cursed. “Humans don’t stand a chance against a mobile suit!”

“In that case, we have the perfect answer!” Lacus shared a nod with Cagalli before they pointed at Zaku Master at the same time. “Go, Fenrir! Show him the power of the Scarlet Wolf!”

“Sic him, Orthrus! Teach that Zaku creep a lesson!”

Like Pokemon, Kira and Athrun appeared out of nowhere before rushing straight for Zaku Master. The Anti-Gemite leader responded in kind and the three mobile suits collided like a series of thunderclaps. When the dust and doujins settled, the green giant had caught the punches of the Fenrir and Orthrus with a single manipulator each and was holding them at bay with ease.

“Impressive, zaku… Your costumes are well-made… and I can tell you’ve undergone intense training so you wear them like a second skin…” Zaku Master astutely remarked through gritted teeth before chuckling. “But I’ve been cosplaying as mobile suits since _Mobile Suit Gundam_! If you think a bunch of greenhorns like you can defeat me, you’re a hundred years too early, zaku!”

With incredible strength, the green giant picked up the Fenrir and Orthrus by the arms before tossing them back. Kira and Athrun cried out but managed to land on their feet. Nearby, Lacus and Cagalli were cheering their mobile suits on like coaches on the sideline.

“Kira, let’s do that!” Athrun yelled.

“Right, Athrun!” Kira nodded and they charged at the colossal Zeon grunt suit for a second time.

“ _Freedom Punch!_ ”

“ _Justice Punch!_ ”

“I told you, it’s useless, zaku!” Zaku Master laughed and prepared to catch their fists again only to gasp when the pair suddenly disappeared. “ _Zaku?!_ ”

When he realised they were underneath him, it was too late. The crouching Fenrir and Orthrus sprung from the floor and brought up a foot each, kicking the Zaku between the legs. With a devastating crunch, the twin blows crushed the green mobile suit’s groin like a crumpled car bonnet and the giant was left standing there in shock. Presumably, he had blacked out from the pain along with the Zaku’s pink mono-eye.

“Yeah! Take that!” Athrun hollered in celebration and shared a high five with Kira. “Unlike the real thing, mobile suit costumes have human weaknesses!”

“Your conceit was your defeat!” Kira added, wagging his finger. “And as if we’d let ourselves be defeated by a grunt su–”

The Zaku’s mono-eye reactivated, glowing bright red. With one punch it sent Kira flying across the room. Stunned, Athrun could only watch as the Zaku reared its leg back next… and kicked him between the legs. The Orthrus was thrown back to join the Fenrir where it crumbled to the ground, clutching its groin.

“A-Athrun!” Kira cried, getting to his knees. “Speak to me, Athrun!”

“M-My jewels! I can’t feel my jewels!” Athrun wheezed with alarm, his voice having gone up several pitches.

“Zaaaaaaakuzakuzaku!” Zaku Master’s hideous laugh caught their attention and once again the Anti-Gemite appeared perfectly fine. “What do you take me for? An amateur, zaku? Like a true Gundam fan, I built this mobile suit using real steel parts and worked out every day so I could wear it! Just give up! You’re out of your league, zaku!”

“D-Damn… he’s too strong!” said Athrun, his voice having returned to normal after finding his jewels intact. “Run, Kira! Save yourself!”

“No, Athrun! He must have a weakness; Zeon mobile suits always do! We just need to find it…” Kira muttered and tried to think but got distracted when he noticed Lacus and Cagalli shouting at him. “Huh?”

The girls were waving their arms and pointing at their feet like were they performing some kind of weird dance. It took Kira a mystified moment but he finally realised what they were trying to tell him.

“Oh!” he cried before getting up and charging Zaku Master alone. “ _Freedom Kick!_ ”

“Useless, zaku! You think I will let you trick me twice?!” the green giant sneered and braced to catch the Fenrir’s punch… only for the red mobile suit to kick him between the legs. Again. “Really, zaku?!”

Zaku Master laughed, convinced it was a futile effort and that things would end the same way. But as the Fenrir’s foot went up, its shin ruptured and a ray of crimson light erupted from it.

A beam saber, hidden in its leg… or rather, a sharp pointy glowstick painted bright red.

The weapon pierced right through the Zaku’s groin armour and buried itself right up to the hilt. Zaku Master’s rowdy laughter was suddenly replaced with deathly silence and his giant body went limp. Slowly, Kira removed his foot scythe and the green Zaku stood like a statue for a moment before crumbling to the ground, clutching its groin.

“K-Kira?! You did it!” A recovered Athrun came up from behind and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But how?”

“Beam saber in the leg,” Kira proudly answered, tapping the Fenrir’s thigh. “That Zaku never saw it coming!”

“Beam saber in the leg? Just like in _Gundam Gemini_ Episode Two!” Athrun exclaimed, clutching his head with amazement before his voice grew confused. “But wait… Where is it?”

“Where’s what?”

“The beam saber… I don’t see it…”

Both men looked down to find the beam saber that should have been attached to the Fenrir’s foot was gone. A groan caught their attention and they turned next to Zaku Master on the ground who was clutching his rear. Putting two and two together, the men took in a sharp breath of painful sympathy before covering their own behinds.

“Forget beam saber in the leg…” Kira trailed off, grimacing.

“More like beam saber up the as–” Athrun almost finished for him but was interrupted when a blonde missile tackled the Orthrus cosplayer with a hug.

“You did it!” Cagalli cried, latching on to the white Gundam which swung her around to avoid falling over. “Serves that creep right!”

“Well done, Fenrir! I knew you wouldn’t sully the good name of House Aurelia,” Lacus crooned as she caressed the red mobile suit’s head unit and surprised its wearer by rewarding him with a kiss.

“W-Well, you know me… They don’t call me ‘Nuclear Proof’ Yamato for nothing!” Kira laughed awkwardly. It was probably the most intimate Lacus had been with him for months and the Ultimate Coordinator was a little bashful.

“You mean ‘Nuclear Proof But Impotent’…” Athrun’s snide remark sent Kira into a defensive rage.

“S-Shut up! That’s just a rumour!”

“So what now, Lacus?” Cagalli asked while the men argued like children. “Without Zaku Master, the rest of the Anti-Gemini Corps should fall easily.”

“Oh, my dear Cagalli…” Lacus released a dangerous, throaty chuckle and strode towards the remains of the Zaku. “Do you really believe such an orthodox victory would satisfy the Scarlet Wolf?”

The idol tore off the helmet of the Zaku and adorned it at the end of a pre-prepared pike which she then thrust into the air. The sight of the enemy leader’s ‘severed’ head sent a hush throughout the hall and the fighting momentarily stopped. With a wolfish grin, Lacus seized the moment with a resounding rallying cry

“To me, GunGemers!” she beckoned them. “Don’t let a single Anti-Gemite get away! Crush every last one of them!”

The GunGemers answered their leader with electrifying battle cries and hunted the fleeing UC cosplayers down without mercy. The knowledge of Zaku Master’s demise had not only made the _Gemini_ cosplayers three times as strong, it had also sapped the enemy’s will to fight. This was no longer a battle; it was a massacre.

“After them! Show them no mercy, GunGemers!” Lacus cried before charging alongside her comrades with a whoop.

“Wait for me, Lacus!” Cagalli cried, running after her.

When Kira and Athrun finally stopped arguing and realised what had happened, they were standing in the middle of a stampede.

“Oh my god, Kira…” Athrun whispered as he stared at the chaos. “She’s gone too far!”

“We have to stop her!” Kira nodded in agreement. “Come on, Athrun!”

*****

As Comiket descended into pandemonium, the GunGemers chased the Anti-Gemites from the East Hall and out of Orb Big Site. Lacus was leading the onslaught and when the others finally caught up to her, they found themselves in a long corridor.

“Tear them limb from limb, Space Wolves!” the Scarlet Idol ordered, brandishing her Zaku-headed pike, and her dogmatic followers launched themselves at the shrieking UC cosplayers just as Kira and Athrun arrived.

“Good god, Lacus… You’ve got to stop!” a shocked Kira tried to talk sense into his girlfriend. “Comiket won’t survive this!”

“Yeah, you got your revenge! What more do you want?!” Athrun followed up his friend and waved his manipulators in a panic. “This is just chaotic and destructive now!”

“Kira, Athrun… You disappoint me,” Lacus, or rather Vega Aurelia, chided them as she slammed her pike into the ground. “Has Gundam taught you nothing? For peace to succeed, the enemy must be completely annihilated!”

“ _W-What?!_ ” Kira shouted along with Athrun as they almost lost the last vestiges of their sanity. “That’s not the message of Gundam at all! It’s about co-existence and the futility of war!”

“Oh, really? Then why do they keep churning out sequels where the fires of new conflicts are lit? The people of Gundam would save themselves a lot of trouble if they had just finished the job the first time,” Lacus logically pointed out with a smug grin. “And before you argue that hasn’t happened yet, well… Gundam has not seen the likes of the Scarlet Wolf before!”

Lacus flipped her silver hair back and posed confidently, self-assured in her flawless argument. If their costumes had hair, Kira and Athrun would have pulled them all out by now and strangled themselves with it.

“Lacus, look!”

Ahead of them in the corridor, Cagalli interrupted their conversation and pointed at a pair of double doors along the wall. Puzzled, they gathered around the blonde and sharply inhaled when they saw what was written on the nearby wall.

_Q &A SESSION FEATURING ANNO HIDEAKI AND TOMINO YOSHIYUKI _

“Tomino!?” Athrun exclaimed as he and Kira recoiled with fear.

Ignoring the panicked reactions of their boyfriends, Lacus and Cagalli pushed the doors open and went in. Inside was a sprawling auditorium packed with people who had come to see the creators of _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ and _Mobile Suit Gundam_. A table with microphones had been arranged for the guest speakers on the small stage and two Japanese men with glasses were already seated. The older man on the right who had far less hair than his compatriot was already speaking and there were no prizes for deducing his identity.

“So, about this Vega Aurelia character all the fans are hyped up about… How many men has she slept with?” Tomino asked with a cheeky grin and exasperated groans immediately echoed throughout the auditorium including from Anno himself who hid his face in shame. “No seriously! It’s unrealistic for a woman to be a mobile suit pilot, let alone a high-ranking officer – she must have slept with somebody to climb up the ranks! I’m expecting a nude scene at least! On that note, there’s too many girls in _Gundam Gemini_! I saw an all-female mobile suit squadron – ‘Are you kidding me?!’ I said! It really bothered me! I don’t mind all the lesbian undertones though. I just wish they’d touch each others’ crotches more ofte–”

Tomino was unable to utter another word on account of a tiny disruption that was a giant green Zaku helmet slapping him across the face. The projectile hit the creator of Gundam so hard his head literally spun along with his body and he was thrown off the stage. Tossed high into the air, Tomino continued to spin like a comical blur before he started to fall and hit the ground with a terrible crack.

“GYAAAH! My back! I think I hurt my back!” the old man cried as he thrashed around like a turtle flipped on its shell. However, when he saw the menacing women approaching his prone form, Tomino went completely still with fear. “W-Who are you?! No, stop! Don’t do it! GYYYAAAAAAHH!!!”

Every member of the horrified audience was left speechless as two cosplayers dressed as Vega Aurelia and Laura Hartmann began stomping on Tomino despite his harrowing pleas. They appeared to have a personal vendetta against the elderly man and ignored his yelps of pain which filled the auditorium.

“That’s for _Reconguista in G_!” yelled Lacus, giving Tomino another good kick in the keister. “Could you make it any more confusing and pointless?!”

“And this is for _Gundam SEED Destiny_!” Cagalli roared, making sure he felt the disappointment of the fans as she swung her boot. “How dare you assassinate our characters!”

“B-But I had nothing to do with that last one!” cried Tomino before he was double-punted across the floor like an oddly shaped football. When he opened his eyes again, Tomino found his fellow guest speaker looking down on him from the safety of the stage. “Anno… Help me…!”

“I would, Tomino… but my A.T. Field is precluding me from understanding why I should. Sorry,” the famous anime director stated calmly as he pushed up his glasses and Tomino flew into a rage.

“ _ANNOOOOOO!!_ ”

“Wait… Anno?” Lacus inquired and the girls’ attention shifted to the man on stage.

“ _That_ Anno?” Cagalli asked, cracking her fist.

A bead of sweat appeared on Anno’s forehead and his cool façade cracked. One moment he was sitting at the table forming a bridge with his hands and the next he was sprinting towards a nearby window. He jumped straight through, shattering the glass and leaving Lacus and Cagalli to shake their fists as the _Evangelion_ creator escaped.

“You better run, Anno!” Cagalli cried. “We’ll never forgive you for Eva 3.0!”

“Don’t worry, Cagalli,” Lacus put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “We’ll get him when 4.0 comes out… He can’t hide forever!”

While the two contemplated their revenge on the man who ruined _Evangelion_ , Kira and Athrun finally came running in. They had been delayed by the piercing screams they had heard coming from beyond the door which had rooted them with terror until it abated. Finding Tomino on the floor and Anno nowhere to be found, the men grabbed their heads in shock.

“Oh my god… You beat up Tomino?!” yelled Kira. “The man’s like eighty years old, Lacus!”

“What about Anno? God in heaven, what did you do to him?!” Athrun cried next and gasped when he saw the broken glass. “Please don’t tell me you threw him out the window?!”

“No, he threw himself out,” Cagalli answered with a click of her tongue. “I guess he really needed to go home and work on 4.0.”

“Yes, unfortunately… but we still have the fine company of Tomino-sensei,” said Lacus and her smile caused the bruised man to back up against a wall with terrified eyes. “Now… where were we?”

“Hey! What’s going on here?!”

An authoritative voice from the auditorium entrance froze the SEED quartet in their tracks and they found several police officers gathering at the door.

“Oh no, it’s the fuzz!” Kira screamed. “Someone finally called them!”

“Of course someone called! What do you expect when you cause a riot at Comiket?!” cried Athrun.

“W-What do we do, Lacus?” Cagalli whispered only to find their leader had a cold sweat pouring down her face for once. “ _Lacus!_ ”

But just as the officers were about to march into the auditorium to arrest them, a group of GunGemers bowled into the lawmen and knocked them to the ground. One of the cosplayers quickly stepped inside and closed the doors behind her before using her body as a barricade.

“Run! I’ll hold them off for as long as I can!” Tully shouted, grimacing as the officers began pounding on the door.

“No, Tully! You can’t!” Cagalli pleaded with her. “That’s a death flag!”

“We can’t let the tragedy of Episode One happen again! Come with us, Tully!” Lacus implored Tully and desperately held out her hand but the artist known as Gundam Girl shook her head.

“No… It’s fine. Really. This is how I’m meant to go out…” she smiled with a hint of melancholy. “But your journey of a thousand miles has only just begun. It has to continue… and for it to continue, you must live. GunGemers everywhere are counting on it. Now go!”

“No!”

“Tully!”

Lacus and Cagalli screamed with anguish. It was like they were watching Episode One all over again. They would have rushed over to Tully if not for the two pairs of strong arms which lifted them off the ground.

“Damn it!” Kira cried as he threw the weeping Lacus over his shoulder and ran like crazy towards the broken window.

“Hang on!” Athrun shouted over Cagalli’s bawling and started his own run up with a war cry.

With their pilots slung over their blocky shoulders in a fireman’s carry, the Fenrir and Orthrus dramatically leapt through the open window in a bid for freedom. The last time Lacus and Cagalli saw Tully, she was bravely struggling to hold the door back. Even at the very end, she was still smiling.

“Goodbye…” Tully whispered as she watched her friends disappear over the edge. “And good luck.”

**END OF FEVER**

* * *

**Author Notes** (which were too long for AO3's Chapter Notes so they're here at the end of the story)

And that concludes Fever 03. There will be one more chapter, an epilogue, which should hopefully be up tomorrow night.

Chapter notes:

1\. **RX-78-2 Gundam:** The original Gundam from _Mobile Suit Gundam_ which started the iconic design and general colour scheme of all future Gundams. Its pilot was Ray Amuro.

2\. **UC Cosplayers:** UC is short for 'Universal Century', the timeline of the original _Mobile Suit Gundam_ series and its many sequels and spin-offs (including but not limited to _Gundam Zeta_ , _Gundam ZZ_ , _Gundam Unicorn_ and _Victory Gundam_ ). Ray Amuro and Char Aznable were the protagonist and antagonist of the original Mobile Suit Gundam respectively. Their relationship/rivalry would be the basis for many other characters in future Gundam series (rivals with red mobile suits, 'Char Clones', etc) and the main characters of _Gundam Gemini_ , Laura Hartmann and Vega Aurelia, are comparable to them.

3\. **Operation British:** A failed military operation executed by Zeon during the One Year War (UC 0079) of _Mobile Suit Gundam_ which involved dropping a space colony on Earth. It missed its target but still ended up obliterating a large portion of the east coast of Australia and killing billons of people. Interestingly, this event was only first named and expanded upon in Gundam Century, a 1981 source book. It was only finally depicted with the 2015 adaptation of _Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin_ , a manga prequel to _Mobile Suit Gundam_.

4\. **'Nuclear Proof, But Impotent':** SEED fans probably already know, but Kira survives a lot of nuclear explosions during the series (three by my count). He's also noted for losing his virginity early in the series (something of a Gundam record). However, when it comes to his main love interest, Lacus Clyne, the most he's ever done is kiss her on the cheek. I wonder if there's a connection...

5\. **Q &A SESSION FEATURING... TOMINO YOSHIYUKI:** This is a nod to an actual interview Tomino and Anno did for the _Char's Counterattack_ Fan Club Book in 1993. During this interview Tomino started talking explicitly about Char's sex life amongst other vulgar comments (reportedly leaving Anno shocked, to say the least). I parodied this with Tomino's dialogue while adding in a few more real foot-in-mouth incidents such as his saying Captain Murrue Ramius would never have made captain (because her bust was too big), being jealous of other popular shows (and directors) because he didn't make them first (Attack on Titan, Makoto Shinkai), and his lamentation that romance in anime was too platonic and needed more sex (specifically, that instead of reaching for each others' hands they should be reaching for each others' crotches... yes).

6\. **AND ANNO HIDEAKI:** Anno Hideaki is a very famous anime director and is probably most famous for creating and directing _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ (1995). Similar to how the original Gundam was a reaction to the unrealistic robot shows of its day, Eva reacted against typical shounen mecha anime by having (amongst other things) a cowardly protagonist, broken characters, destructive relationships, psychological themes that explored the fragility of humanity, and frightening mecha that were even scarier than the enemies they were made to defeat. Most of its action left you empty or wanting more (not in the good sense; there were few real victories), a reflection of how the show promised catharsis but never delivered, and its original ending left most people scratching their heads (due to it being a reediting of previous material... because Gainax had run out of money). Still, it was popular enough to get two movies and a reboot movie series. More on the latter below...

7\. **Reconguista in G:** When _Reconguista in G_ (2014) was announced, there was a lot of hype. It would be the first time Tomino would direct a Gundam anime since _Gundam Turn A_ (1999). What could go wrong? A lot, apparently. The criticism mostly concerned the story department - the plot was incredibly complex, convoluted and hard to follow - and the characters, which tended to just spew expositions without personality as well as make strange, nonsensical decisions. That said, ReconG had fantastic animation and designs, and the aforementioned problems aren't new to those who have seen Tomino's previous body of work (the guy just doesn't change apparently).

8\. **Gundam SEED Destiny:** Nothing to see here... No, really. If you haven't seen Destiny yet, do yourself a favour and keep it that way...

9\. **A.T. Field:** Short for 'Absolute Terror Field', this was the supernatural force field Angels (the kaijuu-like enemies of Evangelion) would generate to defend themselves from humanity's conventional weapons (like kaijuu). The only thing that could defeat Angels were the Evangelions which could neutralise the Angels' A.T. Fields by creating their own. As was the way with Eva, the A.T. Field was an analogy for the field which binds the human ego and sense of self to our bodies (as our souls), giving us individuality, and is the barrier which also keeps humans from understanding one another completely.

10\. **'You better run, Anno!':** In 2007, Studio Khara (Hideaki Anno's new studio) released the first of the ' _Rebuild of Evangelion_ ' theatrical films which would serve as a retelling of the popular original series. There would be four films numbering from 1.0 to 4.0 and Anno would serve as the writer and general manager of the project. _Evangelion 1.0_ was a solid opener which, while it did not deviate from the story much, excited fans. _Evangelion 2.0_ (2009) took things to another level and was widely acclaimed for its action, animation, and its expanding on the original characters and plot (which left audiences on an amazing cliffhanger). However, when _Evangelion 3.0_ was released in 2012... everything just went down the drain. It was like bad fanfiction which saw a return to Shinji-bashing (because the main character wasn't already annoying enough), an unimaginative time skip (Anno obviously hit the reset button because he ran out of ideas), a railroaded and boring plot (no prizes for guessing the twist), and characters losing all common sense (amazingly, everything would have been solved if characters had just TALKED TO ONE ANOTHER).  
Is it any wonder _Evangelion 4.0_ is only finally going to be released in 2021 (at this time of writing) after the hot mess Anno left us with in 3.0? Seriously, I don't know how he will fix _Rebuild of Evangelion_... in fact, I don't care anymore. Eva is dead to me. Like Judas, Anno nailed _Evangelion_ to a cross and then killed it with the spear of Longinus (okay, not all done by Judas, but you get the picture).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, lots of notes this time. To clarify, I have nothing against UC Gundam, they just happened to make the perfect anatagonist for Gundam Gemini in this story (old vs new). Same with Tomino... I mean, if he doesn't want to be made fun of, he should stop saying stupid things. Anno, however... that's all real.
> 
> That's it from me. Hope you enjoyed this and see you at the epilogue!


	6. Fever 04 - SEEDs of a Future Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After escaping Comiket with their lives, the SEED quartet rest at home and contemplate the aftermath. Meanwhile, Kira's and Athrun's attempts to score with their girlfriends do not go as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED.
> 
> Huge thanks to LW for prereading this chapter and all the ones before! Hope you weren't scarred too much!

Gemini Fever

Fever 04

SEEDs of a Future Fever

“ _ Tonight on Orb National News: Comiket Chaos. The world-famous Comic Market which attracts over half a million comic fans and cosplayers every year at the Orb Big Site convention centre was cancelled today after a massive brawl broke out between rival fans. The incident reportedly started when hundreds of attendees banded together and targeted a specific group of rogue Comiket volunteers whom they claimed had ejected them unfairly from the premises. Interestingly, almost all those involved in the epic melee were Gundam cosplayers and the situation was only brought under control when police arrived at the scene. Dozens of arrests were made and a further hundred were hospitalised. However, the ringleaders behind what has been dubbed ‘The Comiket Rebellion’ are still believed to be at large. Calling them persons of interest, Orb Police have released a description of the pair and their accomplices but this has been mocked online because the suspects are clearly… cosplaying. _ ”

The news report cut from video of Gundam cosplayers being led away in handcuffs to a sketch artist’s impressions of the ringleaders – sketches which clearly showed the faces of Vega Aurelia, Laura Hartmann, the Fenrir and the Orthrus as they appeared on  _ Gundam Gemini _ . Kira, who was watching the television while lying in bed in his pyjamas, stopped biting his fingernails and breathed a sigh of relief. Beside him, however, Lacus was the picture of composure and even chuckled as the report went on to play her now infamous ‘We are GunGemers’ speech which someone had recorded on their phone.

“Oh my, someone actually captured my moment of grandeur on camera!” she beamed with glee and her hand quickly went to her phone. “And it’s trending on social media! Now the whole world will know we are GunGemers, Kira!”

“No, that’s bad, Lacus! We’re wanted criminals now!” Kira screamed at his girlfriend who even wore her mask to bed... not that it did much good. “Don’t you get it? We dodged a bullet today! No, several! We could have been arrested or jailed or… or had our real faces plastered all over the media! And you’re lucky only Comiket got cancelled; it could have been  _ Gundam Gemini _ that had gotten the axe because of what you did!”

“Oh hush, my dear Kira… All’s well that ends well, as they say,” Lacus tried to charm the Ultimate Coordinator with her silver tongue like he was one of Vega’s women while she fiddled with her phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Arranging Tully’s bail and legal defence… Incognito, of course.”

Kira ran a clawed hand down his face and groaned. Like Lacus had said, he supposed he should be thankful everything had worked out… but some unresolved tension remained in his heart. Perhaps mistaking this pounding in his chest for something else, Kira found himself staring at Lacus and her perfect features. Even with that mask on, she was beautiful and that long silver hair, which was actually her own hair dyed silver to facilitate her new lifestyle as Vega Aurelia more easily, was incredibly exotic. (She wore a pink wig to become Lacus Clyne again.)

Suddenly, Lacus disappeared from Kira’s vision and he became increasingly aware that it was Vega sitting next to him. In bed. In her pyjamas (which was a red, bottomless silk playsuit since that’s what Lacus claimed Vega would wear). The Vega Aurelia who was so gallant and inspiring and… Kira had to admit… attractive was sitting right next to him.

He recalled the kiss he had received from her at Comiket and the coordinator’s breathing stirred with desire. This time, there would be no helmet coming between them as the Fenrir costume had been safely tucked away in the garage. Holding his breath, Kira leaned forward and edged his face towards Lacus’ red lips.

When Lacus realised what Kira was doing, she froze and the Ultimate Coordinator actually thought she was waiting to receive him.

That was… until he felt a sharp pain on his cheek and Kira’s face contorted like it was in the midst of a high-g manoeuvre. Lacus had slapped him in the face so fast she must have broken the sound barrier and the coordinator never saw it coming. He went flying over his side of the bed before landing on the floor with his legs in the air.

“…What did you think you were doing?” Lacus asked Kira as she peeked over the edge of the bed to look down on him.

“I was… trying to kiss you?” Kira replied, slightly dazed and confused as he rubbed the red handprint on his cheek.

“Kira! You disappoint me!” Lacus sharply rebuked him and shook her head. “I know the Scarlet Wolf is very charming – irresistible, even – but I thought you were a man of higher principles. How could you… How could you try and kiss me… when you already have Lacus?”

“ _ What?! _ ” Kira screamed, almost lost for words, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets. “But you  _ are _ Lacus! There’s no cheating to be had; you’d need a third person for that and last I checked,  _ there’s only the two of us here! _ ”

“If that’s what you really think, both Lacus and I are severely saddened by you,” Lacus – or was it Vega? – spurned Kira with a toss of her head and a humph. “Perhaps a night on the sofa will set you straight…”

“Oh no, please Lacus, no!” Kira begged, trying to sit up from the floor while his legs still rested on the bed. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just been so… so long since we’ve been together, I… I lost my sense of reason!”

Hearing what he was admitting, Kira blushed and Lacus turned to him again with surprising sympathy.

“…True. Perhaps I have been… neglecting… your needs. And as the master of the Fenrir, I must take responsibility for your misbehaviour…” she reluctantly nodded, filling Kira’s eyes with hope. “Very well! Lacus may not approve but I, Vega Aurelia, shall give you satisfaction!”

“R-Really?! Then–” An overly eager Kira was about to make his first request when something hit him in the face. It was the Gundam SEED: Forbidden Destiny yaoi doujin featuring himself and Athrun. “Huh? What do I need this for?”

“It’s material. Use it, as they say,” Lacus succinctly told him like it was obvious.

“What?! No, I can’t use this! You said you would… What are you doing?”

A bewildered Kira, never suspecting what would happen next in his wildest dreams, could only watch as Lacus grabbed his legs with surprising strength before placing her foot on his crotch. Realising what was about to happen, the Ultimate Coordinator’s purple eyes widened like a pair of saucers.

“No… Don’t do it!” he begged. “I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror tomorrow!”

“You unfaithful mutt… Did you really think you were worthy of the goddess that is Vega Aurelia? The Scarlet Wolf?” Lacus sneered through her curtain of silver hair, clearly enjoying Kira’s shocked and frightened expression as she prepared to dominate him. “You’re just a dog in heat… and other than the noises only a dog in heat could make, I don’t want to hear another word from you. Oh, do not fret… I will satisfy you as promised. Are you ready? Here we go…”

“No… No…!”

Kira tried to resist but the pleasure became too much and, ashamed, used Forbidden Destiny to cover his face before he lost total control.

“IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~”

*****

The unsettling scream of pleasure coming from Kira’s and Lacus’ house sent a shiver down Athrun’s spine. Leaping out of bed, the coordinator quickly shut the window and thereby silenced his best friend’s call for help.

“I’ll pray for you, Kira…” Athrun quietly whispered to himself before turning around with an innocent smile. “Hey, did you hear something? I guess Kira and Lacus are having fun.”

Cagalli, who was sitting up in bed with her tablet, frowned at Athrun with disapproval.

“TMI, Athrun! They’re our friends…” she chided her boyfriend as he climbed back into bed with her.

“What are you doing?” he asked, watching as Cagalli tried to copy pictures from the  _ Wolf x Hound _ doujin using a stylus pen and a drawing app.

“Practising,” the blonde said without averting her attention from her sketches. “I was so inspired by all the doujins we saw today and their amazing art that it made me want to try and draw stuff too.”

“Oh, are you and Lacus forming a circle now? Maybe you can aim to release something at the next Comiket?” ‘So long as we haven’t gotten banned by then,’ Athrun told himself while keeping up his smile. “Wait… Isn’t that the Vega x Laura doujin? Is that what you want to draw?”

“I-It could happen!” A defensive Cagalli angrily snapped at him and hugged her tablet in a cute attempt to hide her Vega x Laura efforts. “Don’t judge me!”

“I’m not judging you,” Athrun laughed before shuffling closer. “It’s just been so long since we talked like this… I really missed your eyes, you know. Your real eyes…”

Like a smooth operator, Athrun stared into Cagalli’s amber orbs and the princess blushed.

“Oh, Athrun…” she said, finally abandoning her pout and giving in to him. The couple hugged and Athrun secretly pumped his fist in victory. Behind him, Cagalli closed her eyes to take in the sweet moment… only to suddenly open them with confusion.

“Wait… Something’s wrong…” she whispered, pulling back, but Athrun dismissed his girlfriend’s troubled stare with a laugh.

“What are you talking about? Nothing’s wrong,” he chuckled and tried to hug her again… only for his expression to falter with alarm when Cagalli began touching his chest.

Before Athrun could say anything, Cagalli ripped open his pyjamas… to reveal a Scarlet Wolf T-shirt. It was emblazoned with the red Fenrir as it performed a cool pose while wielding its signature beam saber and rifle. Printed across the shirt were the words ‘The Scarlet Wolf’ and under that the phrase ‘Stir the Hornet’s Nest!’. With her mouth agape, Cagalli stared between the shirt and Athrun’s pale face, wordlessly demanding an explanation.

“Oh, look at that… a Vega shirt!” Athrun awkwardly tried to laugh it off. “After Comiket, I took a shower and afterwards just slipped on the first thing I could find… which, completely unbeknownst to me, happened to be a Vega shirt! Who knew?”

Cagalli narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Athrun who was breaking out in a cold sweat. She also noticed the posture of his body was strange, like the former ZAFT pilot was trying to hide something behind him. When she moved left so did he… so Cagalli feinted right before she dived past Athrun and pulled the drawer of his bedside table out.

Inside was a treasure trove of red merchandise.

“This… This is a limited-edition Fenrir keychain! And a rare Fenrir wolf plushie! And this is a perfect 1/10th scale figure of Vega still in its box! These are all Vega Aurelia goods!” Cagalli shouted with disbelief as she took out the items one by one before turning on Athrun with accusing eyes. “You’re a Vega fan!”

“W-W-W-W-What?! N-No, I, I, um, I, no, I…!” Athrun began stuttering like a broken record but it was all the proof Cagalli needed and he changed tact. “…I can’t help it, okay?! She’s a red suit like me; I have to support her!”

“You traitor…” Cagalli growled like a scorned tigress and stomped towards Athrun with such aggression he fell off the bed before being backed out of the room. “I can’t believe you like Vega more than Laura!”

The door slammed in Athrun’s face and he was left dumbstruck... until he did a double-take.

“Wait…  _ That’s _ what you’re angry about?!”

*****

After several attempts at coaxing Cagalli to let him back in only to be ignored every time, Athrun trudged downstairs in defeat. Resigning himself to sleeping on the sofa for several months before Cagalli hopefully forgave him, he passed a window and saw the porch light next door was on. With a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, the former ZAFT pilot went outside and found Kira sitting on a bench with his own blanket.

The Ultimate Coordinator was as pale as a ghost.

“…What happened to you?” Athrun asked, going straight to the point.

“I tried to kiss the Scarlet Wolf…” Kira whispered, quivering from something other than the cold night air. “…You?”

“Cagalli found my Vega collection…”

“She was mad, wasn’t she?”

“Shut up…”

Athrun parked himself next to Kira on the bench and they sighed in unison before looking up to the stars.

“You know, when you’re looking up at the night sky… you suddenly realise how insignificant everything is…” Kira went philosophical out of the blue and Athrun considered his best friend with deep concern. “How insignificant you are… How insignificant your life is... And… And how everything you go through… everything you experience is… is insignificant… They have to be…”

The Ultimate Coordinator began to sob midway through and Athrun placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay buddy… I still respect you.”

“…I’m… I’m starting to think  _ Forbidden Destiny _ might have the right idea…”

“Don’t go there… Don’t go there, buddy…” Athrun patted the grown man. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but… don’t go there.”

“It’s this  _ fever _ , Athrun… They’ve  _ changed _ ,” Kira whispered. “Will they ever be free? Will  _ we _ ever be free?”

Athrun hesitated before answering.

“Well… it’s at least better than _Gundam SEED Destiny_ , right? I mean, it can’t get any worse… can it?”

An uncomfortable silence fell between the men and they returned to staring at the stars.

They were bright tonight.

**END OF FEVER**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Gemini Fever... For those who read it all, thanks for putting up with this monstrously overgrown 'oneshot' (which altogether ended up being just under 18k words... UGH). Unfortunately, Fever's goal of introducing new readers to Gundam Gemini failed since I didn't get any reviews from new people on FFN or AO3. So, unless readership picks up or I have a really amazing idea, that's the end of Lacus' and Cagalli's adventures with the GG fandom... and, sadly, Kira's and Athrun's suffering (God, that was fun).
> 
> But with Fever finished, I will now be putting all my effort into writing Gundam Gemini and hopefully you can expect an update this weekend (Episode 17 - The Scarlet Admirer Part A). Thank again and see you next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed this please leave a review! You can also read the real Gundam Gemini story on this site by clicking on my profile and finding it!


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